Of Disney and Dreams
by ModernArt2012
Summary: Various pairings, generally Sydrian, to Disney songs. T for implied swearing in the second chapter, and beyond.
1. Sydney I Won't Say I'm in Love

**A/N: Hi … Me again. You've probably begun wondering – does she do anything besides songfics? It's rather hard for Bloodlines, when there are so many good songs out there for all the couples and stuff… so here's my multi-chapter songfic! (I know, I'm really branching out here…XD)Yeah, Disney songs… so Third person, limited, no particular point of view, and not just Sydrian, but some others in the mix as well. (I took artistic liberties with the pairings) – at least in the second part. T for implied swearing. I hope you enjoy! Part 1 of "Of Disney Songs and Dreams". Songfic to "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from Disney's **_**Hercules**_**. **

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Part 1

Girl's Night Out had quickly turned into Girl's Night In. Honestly, a last minute notice about how the nightclub had been burnt down could not have come at a worse time. Jill was in emotional turmoil, everybody kept expecting Sydney to burst spontaneously into tears, and Kristin and Julia were doing their darndest to try and force make overs on both girls. Sydney was adamantly refusing a makeover, so poor Angeline was cornered and practically hog tied to the chair the girls had placed in front of the vanity in Sydney's dorm room. Her head looked as if it had been attacked by a roll of aluminum foil, and her face was plastered with some brown gunk that came out of a bottle. Kristin and Julia claimed it was "therapeutic".

"Are you sure, Sydney? A breakup is the perfect time to change up your look." Julia asked for what had to be the hundredth time.

"Yes, I'm sure. I feel fine." Sydney returned to the book of magic that Mrs. Terwilliger had asked her to translate. After the raid on the Warriors of the Light compound, she was positive that knowing a few magic spells wouldn't hurt. Palm Springs was shaping up to not be quite as safe as the Alchemists had originally thought, after all. She wasn't however, ready or willing to undergo instruction in the art of magic.

Jill piped up from the corner where she was giving herself a pedicure. "It's really okay, Sydney just had some bad luck in the boys department." A pause to clean off the nail polish that had gotten on her skin, then slyly, "She already has another boy crushing on her though…"

Kristin and Julia stared at Sydney, like it was completely unbelievable. Angeline looked slightly confused and the packets of aluminum holding the hair dye to her head made her look like some freakish version of an alien.

Sydney closed the book , and sighed heavily. "Look, I just don't have time for guys right now. I have so much on my plate, I barely had times for dates and half the time I was called away or had to cancel. So, I'm really better off without a guy."

_If there's a prize for rotten judgement  
I guess I've already won that  
No man is worth the aggravation  
That's ancient history, been there, done that!_

Julia pounced. "But that's totally evading the topic at hand! Come on the details. Who, what, when, where, why. I can't believe you would leave out something as important as another guy crushing on you! Is he cute? Do you like him?" Catching Sydney's blush, "Oh. My. Gosh. Sydney likes this guy too!" Angeline nodded sagely. Since when had the Keeper girl gotten to be so observant about feelings? Last time Sydney had checked, the girl was obtuse about such matters! Doing a quick check, Kristin and Jill were nodding their agreement as well. She was cornered.

_Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'  
He's the Earth and heaven to you  
Try to keep it hidden  
Honey, we can see right through you  
Girl, ya can't conceal it  
We know how ya feel and  
Who you're thinking of_

If she had been standing, Sydney would have been backing away slowly. She shook her head. "No, it's not like that. It's not like that at all. We – we're just friends. I mean come on, how likely would that be? It's not possible, and not likely." She was vaguely aware that she was babbling incoherently. Since when had a group of human/ dhampir/Moroi girls taken on such a resemblance to a pack of wolves?

_No chance, no way  
I won't say it, no, no_

Kristin grinned, and quoted, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much." Angeline nodded sagely again. Jill grinned as well, mischievous and mirthful.

_You swoon, you sigh  
why deny it, uh-oh_

Sydney shook her head in disagreement. "No, really, it's not like that at all. I was going to get some coffee after Brendan – "

Julia cut her off. "Nope. Do not say The Git's name when talking about ex's. First rule of breakups." More educated nodding, from all parts this time.

Sydney paused, now confused, "I thought you said the First Rule of Breakups was to get a makeover?"

"No, that was the First Rule of _Getting Over_ Breakups. Now, please continue. You were going to get coffee."

"Well, like I said I was going to get coffee after, and I thought of stopping by this art studio where I chat with the artist sometimes. And I told him me and The Git broke up, and he was understanding and stuff, and the next thing I know he's confessing and then – "

Jill broke in, "He kissed her!" Gasps all around, some minor swooning on Julia's part. Sydney blushed furiously, and glared daggers at Jill.

"How could you keep such information from us, Sydney? It's practically against the Rules of Friendship!"

Sydney glared at Julia, "Okay, I think you're making up these supposed rules. And second, it's not like I'm in love with him or anything." Angeline was trying to give her the universal "shut up" hand signal from behind Julia's back, crossing her hands across her neck and shaking her head furiously. Sydney furiously tried to backtrack; if Angeline thought she was treading dangerous waters, then she was definitely about to get attacked. "Plus, if my experience with Bren- I mean, The Git, are anything to go by, this dating stuff just sucks. I had fun at the beginning, but look where I am now. And supposedly, things are worse when you actually really like them." Exaggerated eye rolls.

_It's too cliché  
I won't say I'm in love_

_I thought my heart had learned its lesson  
It feels so good when you start out  
My head is screaming get a grip, girl  
Unless you're dying to cry your heart out  
Oh_

Kristin smirked, "Oh? Sydney's in looooooove."

Julia took up the chant, "Sydney's in love! Sydney's in love!"

_You keep on denying  
Who you are and how you're feeling  
Baby, we're not buying  
Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling  
Face it like a grown-up  
When ya gonna own up  
That ya got, got, got it bad_

Sydney resumed reading and taking notes. Because honestly, she wasn't getting anything done except giving Julia and Kristin fodder for discussion. Sydney hated being fodder for discussion. She ducked her head close to the ancient text, as if taking a close look at what the book was saying, "Really, you guys are reading too close into this. There's nothing going on." Sydney prayed her hair covered her face enough that they wouldn't notice her blush, which probably made her look like a blonde tomato – a blonde tomato with a gold lily.

_Whoa: No chance, now way  
I won't say it, no, no_

Kristin heaved a dramatic sigh, taking out Angeline's hair foils. "Fine, but you have to tell us about him. Is he hot? How old is he? What does he do for fun? Do we know him? How did you meet each other? What's his name?"

Sydney smiled faintly, lying through her teeth, "Well, he is hot. And he's older than us, in college. He likes to paint. And I don't know if you know him. We met through a mutual friend, and his name is…" Here she stuttered, failing for a name.

Jill jumped in, " His name is Adam. And he is hot, very hot."

Julia was all ears, "Does he have any brothers?"

Both Sydney and Jill shook their heads.

Kristin jumped in, "Wait I think we're missing the point. Sydney, you were smiling and blushing when you were talking about Adam, you like_ like_ him!" She was washing Angeline's hair in the bucket her and Julia had brought for the occasion.

_Give up, give in  
Check the grin you're in love_

"No way, no way at all." Sydney refuted, desperately seeking a way to end this conversation.

_This scene won't play,  
I won't say I'm in love_

The looks all around were skeptical, "Uh huh. Girl, De Nile not just a river in Egypt."

_You're doin' flips read our lips  
You're in love_

Sydney stood up, "Look, guys, can you drop it? I don't like him like that, and that's final. Plus, it's almost curfew. Whatever you're doing to Angeline's hair, you probably ought to finish now."

_You're way off base  
I won't say it  
Get off my case  
I won't say it_

Julia and Kristin glanced at the clock, startled, and suddenly Sydney's dorm room was full of movement and action as they hurried to finish styling the newly highlighted hair.

Jill smiled quietly at Sydney, then told them, "I'm sorry, I forgot. Keith really hates Adam, and our parents totally want Sydney to stay away from him. They think he's all sorts of bad news."

_Girl, don't be proud  
It's O.K. you're in love_

This brought on a new set of questions, new excitement, new life to the almost dead conversation. Sydney just hustled the girls out, claiming she was tired and had a headache from the interrogation. As the door clicked shut behind them, she rested her back against the door and then slid down to the floor, and smiled quietly, thinking about Adrian and everything that he made her feel. A snatch of song from her childhood came back to her and she hummed it,

"_Oh  
At least out loud,  
I won't say I'm in love."_

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**A/N: So ****chapter 1 done. I really see Julia as boy crazy, Kristin slightly less, with Jill being the most normal and Angeline as more oblivious than anything but still being aware of some social clues and norms. As usual, review if you feel like it. Constructive reviews most appreciated. See ya'll next chapter! :)**_  
_


	2. Adrian A Girl Worth Fighting For

**Of Disney Songs and Dreams**

**A/N: Hello. Another chapter? Yes, yes it is. And let me just say, if you have requests; feel free to ask/tell me of them. So, yeah, implied swearing, various pairings, and alcohol. Oh, and our favorite Bloodlines/VA guys. Hooray! Song: "A Girl Worth Fighting For" – Disney's **_**Mulan**_**, and companion to "I Won't Say I'm In Love". Both go together, and occur at around the same time.**

**And because I routinely forget this, Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except the plot bunny. That's it. **

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After the raid on the Warriors of the Light compound, the guys had reached an uneasy sort of truce, a truce where the Moroi and dhamphirs pretended not to know that Trey was a Warrior and Trey pretended that he didn't know the dhamphirs were dhamphirs. There wasn't much anyone could do about the whole, recognizes a Moroi as a Moroi thing, but Adrian did offer to put a Compulsion on him or try his hand at erasing memories. (Trey went paler than a sheet and politely declined; both were impressive feats.) And so,the Monthly Male Poker Night was born, established after Julia and Kristin had established Girl's Night Out at the school. So on the nights that Kristin and Julia dragged Sydney and invariably Jill, and thus Angeline) to go to the latest club or "hot guy hotspot" (their exact words, Eddie swears), the guys get together at Clarence's place and play poker. Nothing too big, matchsticks mostly, every now and again beer bottle caps or actual beers if they're feeling frisky. Generally, they used the time to do basic guy stuff, instead of having huge amounts of responsibility to shoulder. But once in a while,_ someone_ had one too many (read: Trey, Eddie and Dmitri abstained on principle, and Adrian's tolerance of alcohol was too high), and the topic got around to girls. Like tonight.

"Dudes, you know what would tot-ta-ly make all this s*** worthwhile? "Trey's words slightly slurred together; Dmitri went and put a lock on the ice chest with the beers in it, he would be drunk by the time he hit the bottom of the current bottle.

Adrian took a long pull off his beer, "You not being a lightweight?"

Eddie shot, "Or you not sucking at poker?"

Trey ignored the h*** out of their responses, "Having a chick. You know, to be the damsel and s*** like that. The dude always gets the chick in the movies." Apparently, Trey was drunker than they thought, they were going to have to pour him into a cab by the looks of it.

_For a long time we've been marching off to battle  
In our thundering herd  
We feel a lot like cattle  
Like the pounding beat  
Our aching feet aren't easy to ignore  
Hey, think of instead  
A girl worth fighting for  
Huh?  
That's what I said  
A girl worth fighting for_

Dmitri cleared his throat, "Trey, the guy does not always get the girl in real life. That is just the movies. "

Adrian chimed in, jaw working as he mulled over his cards, "Yeah, sometimes the girl doesn't chose the dude." An embarrassed look crossed his face as enlightenment dawned, "Look Dmitri – I know that is not what you meant, and I totally wasn't referring to that event. Plus, that's the past. Totally forgot."

Dmitri and Eddie looked at him as if calling him on his bulls***. Adrian sighed, "I fold."

Trey continued on as if all this hadn't occurred. "I know! I know - *hic* - what we should do! We – We- *hic* - we should describe our- *hic*- our ideal girl!" Eddie reached out and grabbed Trey's beer and then poured it into the ficus. It was past time to cut him off. They dealt a new hand.

He started to describe his ideal girl in great detail about her looks, very exotic and mildly erotic. It sounded suspiciously like Jill, and the three non-humans shared a look betwixt themselves as if to decide who was going to beat him into a pulp for fantasizing about Jailbait in that manner. "I raise."

_I want her paler than the Moon_

_With eyes that shine like stars_

Trey, long cleaned out, leaned over onto Dmitri, breathing breath that smelt strongly of alcohol, "So what about you, comrade? *Hic*" So he was going door-to-door, there was no way to get out of this then.

Dmitri sighed exasperatedly, "I do not need to fantasize about an ideal girl, Trey. Fantasizing indicates that I will never find such a woman, when in fact I have. But for a ridiculous drunk, you are insatiable. This I know. So, I will humor you and describe my dearest _Roza_." And he did, but not just her looks (all of five seconds spent on looks, Trey mouthed to Eddie and Adrian "Whipped."), but her abilities as a Guardian and her loyalty (Adrian turned as if to check the time on the clock, winced), and would have probably been able to keep going in order to spare Eddie and Adrian, but Trey cut him off. _Call._

"Okay, okay. *Hic* We know you've practically gotten married to this chick. When's the wedding by the way, need to save the date. *hic* On to Eddie, you are up * hic* my man."

_My girl will marvel at my strength,_

_Adore my battle scars_

Eddie took a sip from his soda can, mulling over the question (read: trying to waste enough time that Trey would get distracted) When it became apparent that Trey wasn't letting go tonight, he began to speak, ever careful. He slowly described a person that any girl could fit. The only great surprise came when Eddie expressed his wish that his ideal girl could cook. "What? Getting good eats is important. Dmitri would totally understand if he ever had to eat something that Rose made by herself. I call." New hand.

_I couldn't care less what she wears or what she looks like  
It all depends on what she cooks like  
Beef, pork, chicken  
Mmm_

Dmitri raised an eyebrow, "Actually, Rose has learned to cook." His eyes closed halfway, "My mother and grandmother taught her some, I taught her some. She's figured out a lot on her own."

Eddie looked amused, and surprised. "Remind me to come around one day and try something. Last thing I ate that she made… I think I had to get my stomach pumped." Horrified shudders.

Trey seemed to be crashing, finally. He was babbling – way too drunk to successfully sneak onto campus alone, Sydney was going to have to help out which was going to totally make her night. It sounded like he was alternating between talking at Adrian (nursing his beer, nursing his cards) and talking about himself, hiccupping in between words. It would have been comical to record, but no one thought to. Too low a blow.

_Bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer  
And I'll bet the ladies love a man in armor  
You can guess what we have missed the most  
Since we went off to war  
What do we want?  
A girl worth fighting for_

He walked around the table to lean behind Adrian, "So how about *hic* you, Vampy Boy? *Hic*" Adrian's silence was taken as a sign to give him a pep talk, inspire him to be honest and just spit it out, and he actually got Dmitri and Eddie to (half-heartedly) prompt Adrian as well.

_My girl will think I have no faults  
That I'm a major find_

Adrian chose to speak, but quietly. Trey was too drunk to be able to remember anything coherently about tonight, Eddie would keep his lips shut because otherwise things could get messy, and Dmitri, Dmitri knew his pain and couldn't judge him too harshly, and thus wouldn't say anything to anyone. He began, voice getting stronger as he spoke more, "I don't need to fantasize either, Trey. Trust me on that, it's a fact. She's the most beautiful creature I have ever known, she is singlehandedly the brightest star in the universe, she is amazing and makes me want to be more than what you see before you. She is intelligent, quick as lightning, unique and captivating. She is bold, rare, unusual, curious, intriguing, undaunted, daring, dynamic, strong, unwavering, genuine, and brave. She is fantastic and awe inspiring, and doesn't pull any punches. She believes in the good in me, and in my ability to be better than what I am. She is my universe; she holds my heart forever and always." He looked every guy – man – at that table in the eye, then said, "And we can never be together because of what we are, she told me that in so many words. Moroi and Alchemist."

_How 'bout a girl who's got a brain  
Who always speaks her mind?_

Eddie and Dmitri's faces read,'s_***'_, loud and clear. Adrian took a long swallow off the beer bottle, wishing that it was something stronger. Like moonshine, or vodka. (Clarence didn't have anything stronger than scotch, d***it.) Trey, completely missing the gravity of Adrian's announcement, scoffed. "C'mon man. Nothing better?"

_Nah!  
My manly ways and turn of  
phrase are sure to thrill her_

Eddie threw a matchstick at Trey, "Dude, you are such a d*****."

_He thinks he's such a lady killer_

Clarence toddled over from his seat by the fireplace, a half full glass of whiskey (Adrian cursed violently in his head, where the h*** did he get that?), clearly not all there. "Ah, talking about our lady friends? I remember the old days, with my Matilda …." They all pretended to listen, humoring the old man.

Eddie whispered furtively, "You mean, he's not married to Dorothy?"

_I've a girl back home who's  
unlike any other_

_Yeah, the only girl who'd  
love him is his mother_

The night was pretty much ruined at this point. Eddie hurriedly said his goodbyes and thanked Clarence before pouring Trey into Clarence's car. Trey left still babbling about the topic they had left off on. Dmitri, melted into the night, and Adrian, well, Adrian stayed at the poker table, staring at the last hand he had been dealt. _Royal Flush._

_But when we come home  
in victory they'll line up  
at the door  
What do we want?  
A girl worth fighting for  
Wish that I had  
A girl worth fighting for  
A girl worth fighting_

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**A/N: Okay, Chapter 2! Two updates in a day! Record! So, I'm thinking about expanding this from a two-shot into many different songs. I still don't know if I'll continue with this plot. Oh, and I was thinking of writing a couple of pieces expanding on the Rules Julia refers to (The Rules of Breaking Up, The Rules of Getting Over Breaking Up, The Rules of Friendship) in the last chapter that everyone seems to know except Sydney. Good idea or not? If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me. Oh, and again, review if you feel like it. See you next song, XD.**

**P.S.- of someone can please explain how to put in indents at the beginning of a paragraph, that would be much appreciated! :)  
**


	3. TreyJill Can You Feel The Love Tonight

**A/N: Okay, Chapter 3! So, this isn't in my typical style, instead our Point of View comes from Trey and Jill, who act as our narrators. Slightly AU, but continued plot ( occurs after the events in Chapters 1 &2). Once again, various pairings. Song: "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" –Disney's **_**Lion King**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, at all. **

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Some people claim that Valentine's Day Dances are overrated. Jill was inclined to agree, because everyone walks on eggshells around single people on the day, which was quite annoying, thank you very much. Which is how she found herself in the last place she expected herself to be: guarding the punch bowl. Yeah, she was officially in Sydney-ville, although said person was guarding the door to the store room. Trey sauntered over from his position by the door, clearly looking for some decent conversation that wasn't peppered with innuendo or not-so subtle come-ons. He filled himself a glass of punch – yet to be spiked, Jill was sure – and drunk slowly. Small talk was made, mostly the weather and football, and every once in a while disparaging comments were made about various girls by Trey. In one of the many interludes in conversation, Jill noticed a guy entering who bore a striking resemblance to Adrian. (It should be noted, it could not be completely ascertained as to his identity, since some idiot on the Student Council decided to "make things interesting" and force a masquerade. Really though, she wanted to make out with her best friends ex-boyfriend and get away with it, since that was totally against the Rules of Friendship.) In any case, this mysterious someone looked a lot like Adrian.

"Oh, Lord," Jill breathed as the mysterious figure pulled a very reluctant Sydney onto the dance floor.

Trey, in his attempts to hide from 99.9% of the female population, was busy filling himself another cup of punch. "What?"

Jill hissed, "Can't you see it?"

"See what, exactly?"

Jill pointed, "Can't you see them? Together?" Trey looked and clearly saw nothing at all. "Adrian and Sydney!"

Trey choked on his punch, "What?" Then he looked again. "Oh." He eyed Jill, who was twirling the rings on her fingers agitatedly. "Is that bad?"

Jill nodded, "Yes, Yes it is. Look at it like this. Between the four of us, we are the only people in or group left who are single. If those two hook up, then we will be the only ones who are single. And do you know what that means?"

Trey shook his head, guy logic not connecting the dots as fast as girl logic had.

"That means the rest of the group will start being all "lovey-dovey" all the time, and we'll be stuck awkwardly in the mix. We'd be third wheels! Not to mention that then they'll start setting us up on dates with people so we're not left out of the love feeling, and may be they'd set us up with each other! And then, sooner or later, we just won't hang out with them because who wants to see PDA and stuff like that all the time? No one, that's who! And in the end, it'll just be me and you, awkwardly being single and alone!" Her voice had taken on a hysterical quality. She huffed, "This is a disaster!"

Trey eyed her, as if to ascertain that she was alright, "And so what do we do?"

Jill stared at him, "What do you "what do we do?" We can't do anything! It's called karma, maybe you've heard of it? Whatever you put into the universe comes back at you three times harder. We can only watch."

Trey stared at her blandly, "Ah." They both kept watching.

_I can see what's happening  
(What?)  
And they don't have a clue  
(Who?)  
They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line  
Our trio's down to two.  
(Oh.)  
Ze sweet caress of twilight  
There's magic everywhere  
And with all this romantic atmosphere  
Disaster's in the air_

After a few minutes Jill's voice took on a dreamy quality, coincidentally coinciding with the start of a slow romantic song, "Everyone can feel it can't they? The love everywhere, it's practically tangible. Anywhere you go, there's bound to be some reference or a couple holding hands or making out or doing other coupley things together."

Trey agreed, "Yeah, it gets kinda disgusting after a while, but it's nice. 'Make love not war,' you know? It's the inherent nature of the beast, to make everything better and softer and …"He struggled to find the right adjective, failing, "…Not war-y. Everything is how it's supposed to be and it's not supposed to be hard and difficult and stuff. It just is."

_Can you feel the love tonight?  
The peace the evening brings  
The world, for once, in perfect harmony  
With all its living things_

Jill was watching the dance floor, not all there, "The thing is, he still has so much that he doesn't tell her. Like what he told you guys at last week's Poker Night. He's trying to push forward, but Sydney keeps back pedaling, and the only place they're going is in circles."

_So many things to tell her  
But how to make her see  
The truth about my past? Impossible!  
She'd turn away from me_

Trey glanced at the Moroi girl, "Wait what happened at Poker Night? Eddie won't tell me, and I know you weren't there."

Jill looked at him pityingly, "Trey, you got drunk, of course you don't remember. And I heard everything."

Trey glared at her, calling her on her evasion. She relented. "You butt dialed me, okay? I picked up and heard everything from the beginning. I was actually surprised that you came back in one piece."

Trey stared at her, his eyes gleaming in delight. "Okay, now you have to tell me what happened. What did I say, what went on?"

Jill looked at him condescendingly, "Trey, I wouldn't tell you for the moon. As it is you're already treading on thin ice with Adrian and Eddie. I would watch it if I were you." She refilled her cup and then smiled, "But you are a funny drunk."

She eyed the swirling figures, particularly the man in the Phantom of the Opera costume and the girl in the golden dress and black and gold mask. "It's funny. She knows she has feelings for him, it's plain as the tattoo on her cheek. But she keeps back pedaling, running away, and then sometimes, like now she'll do the complete opposite. I want to hate her for causing Adrian so much pain, plunging the knife deeper at times like tonight, but I can't because she doesn't know what she does to him! She only sees the good in him, which I have to adore her for, for being able to what others can't, and she makes him try to be different because she inspires him to. But I still hate her so much for hurting him like this."

_He's holding back, he's hiding  
But what, I can't decide  
Why won't he be the king I know he is  
The king I see inside?_

Trey watched her, confusion etched across his features. "Are we still talking about Melbourne and Adrian?"

Jill scowled at him, exasperated, "Yes, yes we are."

Trey drunk deeply from his cup, "I must've missed something big at Poker Night. Or I'm missing a lot more than just Poker Night." Watching Jill carefully, "S***, how much do I not know?"

Jill responded sarcastically, "About eight novels worth, I would say."

Trey was mildly impressed, "Hot D***." He sobered, "But would it really be so wrong if they got together? I mean, they look so happy, so …"

Jill finished for him, "In love? They are, and they do, and I think they might have the deep, complete, abiding love that people go their whole lives looking for."

_Can you feel the love tonight?  
The peace the evening brings  
The world, for once, in perfect harmony  
With all its living things  
Can you feel the love tonight?  
You needn't look too far  
Stealing through the night's uncertainties  
Love is where they are_

She took a deep breath and then continued, "But it would be like the start of World War III, or dropping a thousand atomic bombs on one spot. It would be really really really bad. For everyone. "

"Holy S***"

"Yup." Jill sipped at the punch in her cup. She wrinkled her nose, "Ugh, this got spiked."

"So if they fall in love…?"

"They're doomed."

_And if he falls in love tonight  
It can be assumed  
His carefree days with us are history  
In short, our pal is doomed_

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**A/N: So there you have it. I really liked writing from Trey and Jill's point of view, they were fun to narrate from. And I think I will do the "Rules" three shot. As usual, if you want to review, do so. Until next time. **


	4. SyndeyICan'tHelpFallin'InLoveWithYou

**A/N: Okay, new chapter! YAY! Sorry for the delay, I had some trouble with this one. Thank you to all the reviewers, it's nice to see that people are reading my work. So, this one is in the exact same time frame as Chapter 3, Sydney acts as our narrator, instead of Jill and Trey. The song is a slight stretch of the Disney definition, but this was part of the **_**Lilo and Stitch**_** soundtrack, I promise! The song is "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" – Disney's **_**Lilo and Stitch**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot of this ficlet.**

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There were some things Sydney was sure she had missed out on in being home-schooled. Dances were one of those things (school cafeteria food being the other). But as she watched the failing sea of teenage limbs that passed for dancing, she really couldn't help but feel that she hadn't missed out on much. She was standing in the shadows (trying to hide her gold everything, Jill had only gotten her into her outfit under extreme duress), watching Eddie and Angeline watch Jill and Trey who were people watching. If this is the way the whole night went, by some small miracle, then Sydney had promised herself a luxurious coffee machine to keep in her dorm room. Maybe even one that made cappuccinos. That would be nice. Cappuccinos were nice. Caught up her daydream about fresh cappuccino before the school day (no need to tip the barista!), she didn't notice the black caped figure that sauntered over from the entrance. Really, she didn't notice the guy who was recreating the Phantom of the Opera costume until he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the seething mass of young adult flesh gyrating to the beat.

_(I just can't help falling in love with you)_

She caught a glimpse of emerald green eyes (her heart skipped a beat or two, not that she'd ever admit) and that was enough for her to know who held her hostage on the dance floor. He had spun her around so that she was facing him, but instead of trying to look like xxx on fire with clothes on in public (most of the occupants of the school gym, this means you), he kept his hands to himself. She smiled broadly trying to hide her grin, "Adrian, I am going to kill you." She couldn't see his eyes crinkle in mirth, but she saw the way his mouth twitched up into a half smile; she knew that he knew that she wouldn't kill him. (When later pressed for reasons, she stated simply, "Too much paperwork."). The current song wound down, and the lights dimmed lower. Adrian looked up, his smiling growing, "And that's my cue. Dance with me?" He held out his hand (the universal symbol for many things, including an invitation to dance), and Sydney was filled with misgivings. Of all the things in the world for and Alchemist to do, she was pretty darn certain that dancing with a blood sucker was not on the list of approved activities. He leaned down, "Sage, it's just a dance. Plus, your human friends are watching me and you, and are most likely going to have a conniption if you walk away now. And to top it all off, I picked a song just for you." The last bit was said with a pout. The beginnings of an old romantic song began to play, and all around them there was a mass exodus from the dance floor. She must have been slightly nudged by someone leaving, because the only thing that registered was that she was falling (Jill had cajoled and pleaded for days about the 5" monstrosities attached to her feet by flimsy ribbons, Sydney had been forced into them under more duress than the dress, makeup and mask put together). And the first item her hand connected with was flesh. A hand. _His hand._ And this is how Sydney Sage, Alchemist extraordinaire, came to dance with Adrian Ivashkov, the sometimes bane of her existence.

_Wise men say only fools rush in  
But I can't help falling in love with you  
Shall I say would it be a sin  
(Be a sin)  
If I can't help falling in love with you  
Like a river flows (Oooh)  
To the sea (Oooh)  
So it goes  
Some things are meant to be  
Some things are meant to be_

His hand wrapped around hers, another held her waist, and like that they began to waltz slowly in place. She watched him, simply because sometimes he was superhuman. There was no girl in this whole school who would pass up being able to be this close to a guy that hot (which, apparently, the mask did nothing to mask, Sydney was annoyed to note. She was then annoyed with herself for noticing.) And however much she got to watch him, he was always a surprise in movement. She looked away, and then asked, "Do you believe in destiny? Fate? That certain things in life are beyond our control?"

He frowned at her, "Sage, way to ruin a moment. You know, the type most girls dream about? Handsome, masked princely character comes and sweeps a girl off her feet and romances her to a slow dance with romantic music? That moment?" She glared at him, and he sobered.

_Take my hand (take my hand)  
Take my whole life too (life too)  
For I can't help falling in love with you_

"I think that everyone is capable of making choices and decisions for themselves, for better or for worse, and the ability to choose lies solely with the individual. At least, that's what you've shown and told me."

Sydney nodded, "I want to believe that. I want to believe that everything, every choice is within the ability of an individual to make, if they only make up their minds to make a decision. But, then recently, I've had to question my belief in that."

_Wise men say only fools rush in  
But I, I can't, I can't help_

_Falling in love (falling in love) _

_With you (with you)  
_

He gazed at her, the dim lights reflecting in the plastic mask and creating shadows in the space where his eyes were. She could gauge nothing of his reaction to her statement. They spun in place. She continued after a moment of silence, "Really, it happened when I chose to use magic to find Sonya. Was it really my choice, or is there some part of me and my pattern of actions that makes everything I think I choose to do foreseeable? If, in some mystical way, if the parts of me that make me _me_, the parts that define the way I chose to behave, what if those same parts make my every action, my every decision part of some planned out event? What if free will is only an illusion?" She paused to breathe.

"I think I know what you're trying to say, but continue."

"Well, see, the part of me that wants to protect, that part of me that propelled me to take revenge on Keith, that part that made me investigate the tattoos, the part that goaded me into preventing my sister from being sent, was that same part of me used into forcing my hand into deciding to use something that I'm fundamentally against to save and protect someone? Was that part of me that strives to protect part of me on purpose, so that I could fulfill some greater goal? Is any of this my own free will?" She knew that she was barely making sense, that she was close to tears.

_Like a river flows (Oooh)  
To the sea (Oooh)  
So it goes  
Some things are meant to be  
Some things are meant to be_

Adrian's arm moved from sitting lightly on her waist to encircling her waist, holding her protectively. "Sydney, I know that's not the real idea you're trying to get at. And though I'm infinitely patient with you, I want to know what's gotten you so freaked out. Because then I can get Eddie or Angeline or Dmitri or Trey or Jill to fix it, and then I can stop being scared."

Sydney leaned into his shoulder, feeling safe and protected. "I don't think this is one of those things any of them can fix." She paused a moment to close her eyes, then opened them again to watch the sea of swaying couples, "You're scared too?"

"If you're scared, little Alchemist lioness, then I have every intention of being scared as well. So, _moe serdtse, _tell me what's wrong." They spun around, their twined hands found its way close to his face, and he dropped a small kiss to the top of their interwoven fingers. He watched her with gentle eyes, full of some emotion that Sydney did not want to name. "Trust me."

_Take my hand (take my hand)  
Take my whole life too (life too)  
For I can't help falling in love with you  
_

She closed her eyes and kept them closed, trusting Adrian completely, "Since then, I've gotten to realize something, something that I've tried to change, that I've made the conscious decision to change. But it hasn't worked. No matter what I try, no matter what I do, nothing changes. Nothing at all. If I were to be honest, it just feels like it's getting worse." She took a deep breath, a breath that rattled out shakily. "Which made me wonder if there are somethings in the universe, that no matter what you try to change or decide against, it will always happen."

He was silent, watching her like she the only one who ever mattered. _Like the only one who would ever matter, and would always matter_, she realized. A part of her was comforted, and she was emboldened again.

_Take my hand (take my hand)  
Take my whole life too (life too)  
For I can't help falling in love with you_

She closed her eyes, and kept them closed, "I don't mean like Newton's Laws of Gravitation, or Schrödinger's Cat, or any of that. I mean, like Xanatos Gambits. Where no matter what you do, the outcome is the same, and that outcome is just a cog in the wheel of Fate or Destiny or whatever you want to call it."

His grip on her tightened, but it didn't hurt. It was more like he was clinging to her. If she had looked (_broken the spell),_ she would have seen hope and desperation and joy and sadness and fear and a whole slew of other emotions. "What are trying to say Sage? Please." She would only ever know the hope and desperation that his voice betrayed.

_Like a river flows_

_That's the way it goes  
I just can't help fallin' in love with you  
(Fallin' in love with you)  
Like a river flows (yea yea)  
That's the way it goes(cause I can't)  
Fallin' in love with you  
Like a river flows (I just can't help myself)  
That's the way it goes  
_

She could hear the song – _their song –_ winding towards the close. This was likely the final dance of the night, it was close to 11 when they had begun this song, and the dance closed at 11. She began again, knowing she only had a few minutes time to say what she needed before the moment (_that magical moment_) was gone. "What I'm trying to say, Adrian, is that no matter what I've tried, what sources I've consulted, what methods I've tried, nothing changes about the way I feel around you. I feel, as if for the first time, that I am alive, that I am more than just another Alchemist, that I am a human being who is cherished for being myself, not pressured to be something that others expect of me. It's as if you are the one and only person who will ever know me as I was meant to be known. And everything you see you value. And the thing that scares me, the thing that I have realized, the one thing that I cannot change: I have found my soul's mirror. I know you. I see you, no matter if I am blind or lost or halfway across the world. And everything I see, I treasure." And those were the words she substituted for the only declaration she could not make aloud, the words that fell like diamonds from her mouth, heavy as stone but more precious to him than anything else. _I love you._

His arms left her waist, but his warmth never left her side. She felt the wet trapped against her face due to the mask (why, oh, why had she let Jill convince her into an uncomfortable, scratchy mask that needed a downy cotton face protector?) and knew that she was crying. She felt him again, but his hand gripped her face with a urgency, tipping her face up to meet his in a crushing kiss. They drew apart, heaving, rattled. He whispered as they lay their foreheads together, "I am your reflection. I _know_ you. I _see_you. And everything I see I value. You are, and always be, my only light."

They turned away, aware that they had suddenly (_inexplicably, irrevocably, irreversibly, irretrievably) _changed everything. And they regretted nothing._  
_

_I can't help falling in love with you  
(I can't help falling in love with you)_

_(I can't help falling in love with you)  
Fallin' in love with you_

* * *

**A/N: Yes, yes I did. However, this isn't the end of the plot! Oh no, there are many other songs that I can possibly choose from! Next up, most likely, "Life is a Highway" from Disney/ Pixar's **_**Cars. **_** I withhold the right to suddenly change my mind. In any case, I'm probably going to be busy working on my multichapter fic (no, it's not **_**Bloodlines)**_**, and then on the **_**Rules**_**. I think that there could be some fun ways to present the rules. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this piece. As per usual, review if you want to, you don't have to if you don't want to. Until the next time, fair readers! **

**P.S. – Adrian calls Sydney "my heart" in Russian, in case you were wondering. **


	5. Angeline Life is a Highway

**A/N: Salutations, readers! Tis I once again, bringing you a new chapter, with the promise of there being new chapters ahead as well! As promised, this song is "Life is a Highway", from Disney's **_**Cars**_**. It's told from Angeline's POV, and a continuation of the story line so far. Okay, it'll be slightly outside the storyline, but it will definitely tie in. Just bear with it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, and never will. The only thing I can claim is the plot, and little else.**

* * *

Angeline knew a lot. She knew how to fight (_not as well as Eddie or Rose, but she was willing to learn_), how to read and write (_not many of her people could claim that)_, and now how to drive a car (_contrary to public opinion, she did have a learner's permit. The Alchemists had given one to her.)_. A real one, all sleek tons of steel and glass. She grinned excitedly at the camera; the jaded DMV worker gazed at her unimpressed. Her grin seemed to be permanent, she couldn't get rid of it no matter how hard she tried (_the Keeper part of her wondered if someone had spelled her, the more modern part of her wondered who would spell someone to smile all the time, it seemed useless.)_ She ran outside to where her "family" was sitting, waving her brand new license around, "I did it!"

Adrian smirked, Eddie grinned, Jill bounced and clapped her hands, and Sydney smiled proudly, "I knew you would! And, now, a present for you on your birthday." Jill bounced over and clapped her hands over the Keeper girl's eyes. Angeline concentrated, but only heard the growl of engines.

Adrian called, "Okay, you can look now."

Jill released Angeline, allowing her to spin and finally look at the gift: a 1953 Plymouth Belverde (_not that she knew what the name was at the time, but Sydney, being Sydney, told her)_. "Oh, sweet chitlins. Is that for me?" Nods all around; apparently she wasn't the only one who had been ensnared by the smile spell. Angeline reverently ran a hand over the blue-black hood, then around to the supple, buttery white leather interior.

Jill crowed, "Come on! Let's go driving!"

Sydney glared at the Moroi, "First, let Angeline name it." Turning to the newly licensed girl, "A girl's name, cars are traditionally a girl's name. Well, most conductible motor vehicles are named girls names, like ships, airplanes, motorcycles, and I met a tractor named 'Bertha' once." Everyone looked at the Alchemist, "What? I remember, because that was the first motor vehicle that I worked on with my mom. Bertha was good to me."

Adrian smiled, shaking his head, "Well, now that we know Sydney's first, let's get a move on with this whole name-the-car thing, because Jailbait here is just dying to get driven in that thing."

Angeline looked at the white interior, running her hand over the top of the white steering wheel (somewhere in the background, Sydney was spluttering and trying to deny Adrian's insinuations, while Adrian continued to tease her), "I like the name 'Ianthe', because the color is an almost purple."

"Well, that's a wonderful name. Now can you take us for a spin?" Jill was already running around to the passenger's side, "I call shotgun!"

Of all the modern sayings that Angeline had picked up on so far, calling shotgun still puzzled her. No measely shotgun was going to stop Strigoi, so why would you want to use one, much less claim it as your weapon of choice? Eddie simply shook his head, "Let Angeline take Ianthe out first on her own, Jill. I'm sure she wants a ride alone first." The tone was a command, but it was phrased as a request. Jill's face fell, and then brightened.

"Angeline, go on! Take Ianthe out, but you have to take me out, okay?" She hugged the girl, and then took the keys out of her pocket, a deep indigo ribbon tied to the key fob. "Go on! It's a weekend, so you just have to be back before tomorrow morning!" They all waved as Angeline drove the car out of the parking lot, and out onto the busy roads of Palm Springs.

_Well, life's like a road that you travel on _

_There's one day here and the next day gone _

_Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand _

_Sometimes you turn your back to the wind _

She immediately unrolled the windows, letting the early morning cool wind whip through the cabin (_who cares about gas mileage when she knew that Sydney had modified her car to be a hybrid, most likely with better mileage than anything she could buy at a dealer ship?)_ And as she drove out into the desert, letting the wind pull her hair in every direction, she thought of the Alchemist girl. Angeline wasn't the smartest in their so-called "family", or the prettiest, and certainly not the best warrior, but she knew things. She knew how to travel, how to go from place to place as free as the wind, to leave everything behind her in the past and head toward the sun.

_There's a world outside every darkened door _

_Where blues won't haunt you anymore _

_For the brave are free and lovers soar _

_Come ride with me to the distant shore_

She knew how to live on her own terms, how to go with the flow and to rush headlong into the storm. She knew more land than any other Keeper, her thirst for adventure making her constantly move around. And Sydney had been her ticket to see the world, to instead of being stuck dreaming of just going outside the Keeper compound to dreaming of seeing places far away like Moscow or Istanbul or some other equally foreign sounding place. She could taste the names on her tongue every time she opened up the ancient book of maps her father had gotten her once, the only thing of importance she never left home without.

_We won't hesitate _

_To break down the guarding gate_

_There's not much time left today, yeah _

And Sydney probably put hours of work into Ianthe, from picking the car to the engine to the other little details that mattered (_purple stitching on the white leather seats, the color, the hand-crank roll down windows that reminded her of home_), which showed that she at least knew Angeline's longing to roll free like a rolling stone, or whatever that song quote was every Keeper back home quoted at her. Why else give Angeline a means to explore freely on her own terms? So the only question left was why Sydney let herself stay caged up by what the Alchemists wanted, and of what everyone expected of her?

_Life is a highway, I wanna ride it_

_All night long_

_If you're going my way, I wanna drive it _

_All night long _

Angeline had been out in the desert all day, rolling across the highway without stop (_someone had thought of this possibility, there was a cooler full of food and drink in the back seat)_. Clearly, driving did nothing to clear her mind, but instead seemed great for pondering deep thoughts _(a new entry in the lists of What Angeline Knows_). Maybe Sydney got cars because of her own desire to be as free, to go wherever she wanted and to see everything she wanted to see. To be the driver of her own destiny, instead of just a passenger.

_Through all these cities and all these towns _

_It's in my blood and it's all around_

_I love you now like I loved you then _

_This is the road and these are the hands_

Angeline got those concepts, they were not foreign to her. She knew the weight of responsibility (_why else would she fight a warrior with so many Strigoi kills if not out of responsibility?)_, or other's expectations and she had long ago learned how to cut the ropes that bound her to the same places her entire life. It was what drove her to travel to see. Her responsibilities to the Keepers was to come back as informed as possible, and she would be, once she had seen the world and learned everything there was to know. Another thing she felt akin to the human in, the thirst to know. Knowledge is power, after all. But the dilemma was still present. Sydney was one of the most powerful (intellect wise) people she knew, but she still remained the puppet of the Alchemists?

_From Mozambique to those Memphis nights _

_The Khyber Pass to Vancouver's lights  
They knock me down and back up again _

_You're in my blood I'm not a lonely man _

She would not pretend to understand the human's way, it was more complex than anyone person could hope to understand in this lifetime. But what Angeline did know, what she knew, knew as well as she knew the roads she had traveled in her short life, was that Sydney felt more than the Alchemist probably felt was healthy, especially towards vampires and dhampirs.

_There's no load I can't hold_

_The road's so rough this I know _

_I'll be there when the light comes in _

_Just tell 'em we're survivors _

Which was and wasn't a problem. Sydney was strong enough to bear that weight, if she was strong enough to be as independent as she was still being controlled by the Alchemists, but more than likely tied her into more knots, tugged by more strings and more powers. Angeline thought that the Alchemist girl needed to cut loose some of the strings, either one group or the other, but therein was the rub, wasn't it? How could she choose to forsake her family for people she had been raised to think of as abominations, or choose to lose people she loved for a group that used her and controlled her?

_Life is a highway, I wanna ride it _

_All night long _

_If you're going my way, I wanna drive it _

_All night long _

The sunset was the only witness to Angeline's choice to turn back. She could have kept going, gone on and on into the sunset and never returned, but she chose to turn back. She chose to return to the group who cared for her as a person, not as a potential weapon to be used in case of Strigoi attack, but as a member of their pseudo-family. To the Moroi Princess who was like a true sister to Angeline, to Eddie who trained her to be a better fighter and might be more than just a trainer, to Adrian who probably slaved over this car because Sydney slaved over Ianthe and wherever Sydney was Adrian was, no matter how bad it probably hurt to see her (_Angeline might not be the best at deciphering non-Keeper courtship rituals, but Jill certainly was_), and most especially to Sydney, who slaved over a car to give her on her birthday, who taught her to drive, who was the person she wanted to be like most, who (_maybe)_ she got on a basic level.

_Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, yeah _

The miles ran into one another, the engine purred on. Life was like a road, Angeline decided. The destination was the same for everyone, but it mattered how you went there. If you did it under your own power, under your own command, under your own choices, if you went with friends or you went burning the bridges behind you, or if you went the way people didn't think of going. It mattered, because that was living. And though Sydney had certainly set Angeline free to live, she was still locked in her own cage, a gilded one that she didn't see as a cage. And that meant Sydney was not living, she was existing.

_Life is a highway, I wanna ride it _

_All night long (mmmm yeah) _

_If you're going my way, I wanna drive it _

_All night long _

The stars had come out and the moon had risen by the time she returned to Amberwood. They were there, waiting for her to come back (_they had always known she would return_), smiling and waiting with open arms. She turned off Ianthe carefully, settling into the parking space the guard had told her was hers (_hers!)_She exited the car, and was immediately engulfed by the group, hugs and pats, and the promise of cake waiting in the lobby. As they all entered the building, Angeline caught Sydney alone, and quickly caught her in a hug, "Thank you." And as she drew away, she saw the look in the Alchemists' eyes, one of gratitude and joy and not a hint of revulsion. Yes, she knew Sydney Sage and she knew her very well, almost enough to say she was looking in a mirror.

_There was a distance between you and I (between you and I) _

_A misunderstanding once _

_But now, we look it in the eye _

_Ooooo...Yeah! _

As Angeline let go of the Alchemist, she could see the smile that was still plastered to her own face, the way her own eyes were guarded and the way that everyone looked at her with tenderness and care, the way that duty and the very nature of humanity warred in her features. Yes, Sydney's face was much like her own; they were like peas in a pod. And they were something far more alike than either girl would admit to: they survived. Sydney by her wits and intellect, Angeline by the strength of her blows. They survived and kept dreaming of freedom.

_There ain't no load that I can't hold _

_The road's so rough this I know _

_I'll be there when the light comes in_

_Just tell 'em we're survivors _

Angeline also saw, in her reflected face, the compassion and care (_dare she say love?_) that was fundamental to her own personality. And so, Angeline had to wonder, perhaps this living-reflection did not break free because she cared? Because she was a protector in her own way, and gave up freedom to protect. And then, maybe her love of cars made sense: to protect something, sometimes you must set it free. And if the only freedom Sydney could offer was a car, then she would work cars until everyone, from the lowly to the high, were free.

_Life is a highway, I wanna ride it _

_All night long (all night long, yeah hey) _

_If you're going my way, I wanna drive it _

_All night long _

Angeline cleared her throat in the night, "Thank you Sydney, you really don't know how much this means to me. Maybe… Maybe you could teach me? To fix up Ianthe myself, to rebuild cars." _To make vehicles of freedom like you, to be even the slightest bit like you._

_Life is a highway, I wanna ride it _

_All night long _

_If you're going my way, I wanna drive it _

_All night long _

Sydney smiled, a full smile that Angeline had only ever seen grace her face when Adrian was around. "I think that's a great idea, Angeline. Then we can start working together on Jill's birthday present, so that when I'm teaching her to drive, you can put together the engine, pick a color and other things like that." As they walked in, she continued full excited, "I have the body, but the engine still needs to be put together and then put into the engine block, and the electrical needs to be done still, and then we need to do the interior and pick a color…."

_Life is a highway, I wanna ride it _

_All night long _

_If you're going my way, I wanna drive it _

_All night long _

And Angeline thought to herself, as Eddie and Adrian bickered over candles, and Jill waltzed in with a cake of monstrous proportions (_clearly they made it themselves, only her "family" could make such a disaster)_, loudly and colorfully declaring "Happy Sweet 16", and everyone gathered round to sing: _Maybe I can still set her free, if only for a few moments every now and again._

* * *

**A/N: So there we go! A look see into Angeline's head. And I actually have no idea when Angeline's birthday is, so I made up a date and picked an age. I like to think that Angeline is far more complex than we ever get to see, so I gave her deep thoughts to think. Next up in the queue is "Reflections" from Disney's **_**Mulan**_**. As usual, review if you feel like it, but no pressure. Until the next chapter, my fair readers. **


	6. AngelineJill Beauty and the Beast

**A/N: Well, this isn't the piece I promised, mostly because I realized this one would make the best sense for my story to come before "Reflection", however the two take place at around the same time. Please don't kill me for changing up the order! *cowers in fear* So here we go: it's Jill and Angeline, to the song "Beauty and the Beast" from Disney's **_**Beauty and the Beast**_**. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot. **

* * *

The space of time between the time students of Amberwood Prep had to be back in their dorm and lightsout was Jill's favorite time. It was everything she imagined going to a normal boarding school was like (VA didn't count, nothing was normal there), with the roommate, the bunk beds that essentially ensured that if you sat up too quickly you'd bang your head on the ceiling, and most especially the gossip before bed. It was therapeutic, mostly because Jill got to divulge everything that happened in her day, and Angeline would listen and then wait until the end to ask a question.

Or in some cases, just ask a question straight out, because she honestly didn't understand. This was one of those nights. Angeline was braiding her hair (something she always did, braided her straight hair up and then put it up into a bun on the top of her head like a ballerina), and sitting cross legged on her duvet. "Jill, will you explain something to me?'

"Yeah, sure. What do you want to know?" Jill wadded up her clothes from the day and dumped them in her laundry hamper. This was going to be interesting, Angeline never asked pointless or stupid questions, and generally made Jill think.

"Sydney and Adrian. What's going on there? Sometimes it seems like they're a couple and then there's days where they act as if they don't know each other. Although I think what you call "normal" relationship interactions strange, they make no sense."

Jill laughed out loud; Angeline looked affronted. Jill hurriedly reassured the Keeper, "It's not a stupid question at all! But, you've put it so well, and I've never thought of it like that." Jill settled herself across from Angeline on her own bed, crosslegged and comfortable. "I honestly don't know. It's not like I'm in Sydney's head, I'm only ever in Adrian's, and he's completely infatuated with her."

Angeline nodded thoughtfully as she expertly wound the braid around the top of her head, mouth full of bobby pins. "At mathes sensss….I tink."

"What?"

The final pin was firmly pushed into place. "I said, 'that makes sense, I think.' But still, it's queer."

"Angeline, no one uses the word 'queer' in that context anymore, I've told you. It means something entirely not nice. You should say "weird" or "strange" or some other synonym instead." Jill sighed, then started picking off the nail polish on her toes. "But it is strange. Almost like it's Adrian's curse or something. He'll meet a pretty girl and fall head over heels in love with her. I can't tell if he's just desperate to be loved because he has a deeply rooted insecurity of never being loved because his parents didn't hug him enough as a child, or if he's just secretly a hopeless romantic who's looking for The One. But he always, always , always falls for them out of the blue and then everything blows up in his face."

_Tale as old as time  
True as it can be  
Barely even friends  
Then somebody bends  
Unexpectedly_

Angeline cocked her head at Jill, "That doesn't just sound like information you've plucked straight outta his head." She grabbed the bottle of acetone on her side of the room, along with some Q-tips. "Here, you're going to damage your nails otherwise." Then she leaned over to open the window.

Jill caught the bottle haphazardly, "Thanks. And I knew Adrian before I met you, I know information that didn't come out of his head. But I think this time might be different. This time, this time _feels_ different." She dipped a Q-tip into the bottle, with slow methodical strokes clearing away the badly chipped paint.

"How so?" Angeline had turned onto her stomach, clutching a large pillow to her front, a tendril of hair that was too short to completely be incorporated into her braid poked off the top of her bun like an antenna.

"Adrian's coming off what possibly could be the worst heartbreak in his life – his words not mine – and he's not feeling too down about it, he's not obsessing over Rose anymore. He… he transformed or something. I think it only took a little belief." She threw away the completely used Q-tip, paused and then unscrewed the bottle again to dip a new Q-tip. "I think the difference is he's scared. He knows that this time may be what he's been looking for, and he's gone and jumped into a shark feeding frenzy while bleeding."

"So, you're telling me that he knows he's barely got a hope's chance in h*** of coming out unscathed, unhurt, but he's gone and done it anyway?" Angeline's incredulous intonation highlighted the deep Southern accent that betrayed her roots.

_Just a little change  
Small, to say the least  
Both a little scared  
Neither one prepared  
Beauty and the Beast_

Jill looked up, thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, he's gone and thrown himself out there again, and that scares him; it doesn't help that he shuts down all defenses around her."

Angeline squeezed the pillow closer to her front, frowning at the floor. "They're both woefully under equipped. For the legions and legions of people who are going to be screaming for their heads on pikes."

Jill smiled, "I don't think there are going to be that many people out to get them, Angeline. A legion is, like, 6,000 soldiers." A frown marred her face, "Though I honestly don't know what to think. Part of me is cheering for them, you know, once Sydney comes around, _if she comes around_, but part of me knows that they're several centuries too late."

Angeline glanced up the Moroi princess, "You don't think she will? I think she has, in some part of her subconscious. They _are_ basically just extensions of each other."

Jill looked up at the Keeper, not quite following. Angeline continued, ignoring her charge. "They have characteristics that are essentially identical in them. Which for some strange reason, still surprises me when I see Sydney do something that Adrian does, yet they are still the same?" The Keeper girl tapped her lip thoughtfully, staring out into the night sky from the foot of her bed.

"Well, they do have some much going against them. Even if they were together, do you think that they could tell us? They would have to pretend in case there were spies or something," Jill argued, hand poised to grab the bottle of polish.

_Ever just the same  
Ever a surprise  
Ever as before  
Ever just as sure  
As the sun will rise_

Angeline waved off the comment, "Well, in any case, it's rather _Romeo and Juliet_ don't you think? Except, Juliet started out thinking that Romeo is a monster, not just forbidden but unholy and stuff." She paused, crossing her arms under her chin. "That corollary makes it seem like what they have between them is just a normal part of life."

Jill stopped midstroke, "Well, they're hardly normal. And in this case, Juliet came around didn't she? She doesn't look like she's been tossed with a bucket of ice water whenever we touch her. And she doesn't think that me or Adrian are going to rip out her throat every five minutes. Childhood conditioning can be overcome."

_Tale as old as time  
Tune as old as song  
Bittersweet and strange  
Finding you can change  
Learning you were wrong_

Angeline raised her hands, "I'm only playing devil's advocate. You forget that I met Sydney before you, I know how she used to be. But this tale of theirs, it looks a lot like a tragedy right now, doesn't it? Every possible series of events that have ever been close to this have all ended in tragedy." At Jill's disbelieving look, she defended, "Do you think I haven't made the _Romeo and Juliet_ comparison before? And I asked Sydney for every title and version of that plot, and then I asked if she knew a version that didn't end in tragedy. She said 'no'."

_Certain as the sun  
Rising in the east  
Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the Beast._

Jill finished with her nails, waving them around so that they would dry faster. "So you're trying to say it's basically set in stone? That this saga is unchangeable?"

Angeline shook her head, "No, I'm trying to say it's going to be uphill both ways, like Sisyphus and his rock." She closed the window, locking it firmly.

Jill grinned, flashing fangs, "Look at you with your classical literature allusions! But then who's the rock?"

The lights suddenly clicked out, and Jill and Angeline drew back the covers on their respective beds and clambered in. Angeline leaned out and gave the room a final cursory inspection, then clicked out the reading lamp on their shared bedside table.

Just as she had settled in, Jill's voice wafted across the room, sleepily, "Angeline?"

"Yes?"

"I think a better correlation would be the story _Beauty and the Beast_. You know, where the pretty girl has to learn to see past what she perceives to be monstrous qualities and they both change for the better, getting the happy ending?"

Angeline yawned deeply, "I've never heard that story."

"Remind me in the morning, tomorrow's Saturday and we can watch the Disney version. Everyone loves Disney."

"Okay." And with that, both girls drew up the covers and settled deeply into sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, a sweet little ficlet that I hope you enjoy. Next up I promise "Reflection", on my honor as an author. After that I have four more chapters (can they even be called that?) planned, and then I'm pretty sure I've exhausted all possible applications of Disney songs to this fanfiction. Unless, you dear readers, have ideas? Feel free to ask for a particular song, I promise to try my darnedest to make it work. As per usual, review if you feel like it. Until next chapter, I bid thee farewell. **


	7. Sydney Reflection

**A/N: Thank you to the many reviewers who reviewed last chapter! I actually enjoyed writing that one immensely. To the Guest who asked me to look at other songs by Disney, I have and unfortunately have found that all of them are extreme stretches of the story line, bar one. So, everyone really has only five (after this chapter, four) chapters to look forward to, at least under this particular title. I may or may not do more Bloodlines fanfictions, but I don't know for certain. In any case, this piece here is the promised "Reflection" song from **_**Mulan**_**, from Sydney's perspective. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

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I stared at myself in the mirror, the hard reflective surface showing me a blond haired, brown eyed girl. I had been ordered to attend this so-called "function", because I was one of the most exemplary Alchemists at dealing with Moroi. I gazed at the girl who looked like me, in the serviceable, multi-functional, _professional_ black dress that looked like what someone my mother's age would wear to this kind of event. Tiny gold studs, a thin gold chain with a delicate gold cross, a gold tattoo unfurling across her check. Nothing personal, nothing to indicate that I was a person, that I was more than an office. I looked just like the perfect Alchemist; I was the picture-perfect Alchemist. But my father, _my father_, he would surely only look and _maybe_ nod and tell me it was "Passable." Yeah, I will never be the perfect Alchemist, never the perfect daughter in his eyes.

_Look at me,  
I will never pass for a perfect bride,  
Or a perfect daughter._

I pulled my hair back into a tight chignon, watching my sigal, my standard, my loyalty, mock me from the face of a girl who looked like me. Maybe if they really knew that I spent time being friends with what I was supposed to think of as abominations, much less _dating_ one, maybe they wouldn't see what they thought they saw in me. But what would that mean? I would disgrace my father, my sister, my mother, everyone I have ever cared for, everyone who has cared for me. I let go, studying the way my hair fell forward to hide the lily gracing, decorating, _marring_ my cheek. Maybe Zoe should have been the next Alchemist in our family; she would've done a better job at toeing the party line at least.

_Can it be, I'm not meant to play this part?  
Now I see,  
That if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart_

I combed out my hair, dragging the comb through the golden tresses on my head. The person who watched me watch them seemed like a separate person, not the girl who attended Amberwood Prep, was an entire dorm's secret pharamacist, walked into a Warriors of Light compound with only her wits, who befriended Moroi and dhamphir and actually valued them as actual friends. No she looked like a doll, a puppet, a marionette with all the strings leading straight back to the lily emblazoned on her face. She was no one I recognized, but she wore my face, she spoke in my voice, she was the imposter that was me.

_Who is that girl I see  
Staring straight, back at me?  
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?_

She locked the door to the suite behind her, settling in beside the other Alchemists as they walked down to the grassy knoll where Queen Vailissa Dragomir would formally recognize her as the official court liason for the Alchemists. She could feel the eyes of the other Alchemists boring into her, watching her and judging and weighing her in their minds. _How did she manage to get such a damned position? She must be so repulsed, but she doesn't look it at all. She is a glowing example of all that an Alchemist ought to be. _Sydney imagined their thoughts, what bent they took as thy stepped into the light. If only they knew who she really was, not the golden shade they perceived her to be. If only they knew.

_Somehow I cannot hide, who I am  
Though I've tried.  
When will my reflection show who I am inside?_

_When will my reflection show who I am inside?_

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**A/N: I know it's rather short, but hopefully you enjoyed it anyways. Next up ought to be "Kiss the Girl" from **_**The Little Mermaid**_**. Oh, and as a tip to hopefully make these chapters more enjoyable, I suggest listening to the song first on YouTube. In any case, just a suggestion, you don't have to if you don't want to. As always, review if you want. If you have a request, feel free to ask, I'm open to suggestions at any time! Until the next time.**


	8. Adrian Kiss the Girl

**A/N: Okay, next chapter! Thank you, my reviewers, for your reviews. To the many people who PM'd me about my change in tense last chapter for the last paragraph, that was perfectly intentional, I assure you: it was to show the separation/disassociation Sydney feels with the "she" who is herself fulfilling her Alchemist's role and who she really is. For those of you who did not need that explanation, my apologies, I didn't feel like explaining that five different times, I'm rather lazy like that. To Rosel, I do have a **_**Tarzan**_** song planned, not to worry. In any case, here is "Kiss the Girl" from Disney's **_**The Little Mermaid**_**, by our beloved Adrian. On with the program:**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, at all. **

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There were certain things in life that no matter what you do, you were bound to be prepared for handling them, for better or for worse. Formal balls? Check. Black tie events? Since age eight. White tie events? In his sleep, or in any case, spirit drunk. His father had prepared him well for diplomacy, especially if he wasn't all there. About one of the only useful things that he had learned from his father ever, especially with so many repulsed Alchemists. Bow, scrape, smile, force a laugh that doesn't sound fake, say "maybe" in a way that they think means "yes" but really means "no". He caught Jill's eye as she was beset with all the noble boys in existence, a few who weren't "boys" but more like grandfathers. He saw Eddie watching like a hawk, visibly unfazed by all the lecherous old men, he saw Rose and Dmitri doing good impressions of second and third shadows on Lissa, he even saw Trey and Angeline dressed up and clearly less than comfortable. He didn't see Sydney, but figured that she was in the middle of the phalanx of Alchemists. The doors to the dining hall opened, and he straightened his black coat and tails (Mother of Heaven, who advised Lissa on holding these types of functions? Didn't she know how hot velvet was in the middle of June?), and placed his empty champagne flute on a passing waiters tray.

_Percussion  
Strings  
Winds  
Words_

The opulent room was filled with the sound of a mini orchestra, sweet and peaceful. An usher led him to his seat, directly across the table from Sydney. He swore he saw Jill, dressed like a true princess (tiny crown and all), seated on the right hand side of Lissa, blanch and shoot him warning gazes. Right, don't cause and inter-group scandal. He could do that. Where was a glass of alcohol when you really need it? The head of the Alchemists was seated to Lissa's right, not happy but apparently having taken the same diplomacy course as his father, didn't seem as if either head was going to move past the weather and the strange lack of hurricanes in the Southeast and the raging wildfires in the Southwest. Yes, they were consummate diplomats alright. He took a swig from the glass of wine in front of him, the crisp Sauvignon Blanc not satisfying his need for inebriation to take hold sooner rather than later. Sydney, from the end of the table, directly opposite Lissa, shot him a wide eyed look, clearly a warning. Right, don't mess up her night. Don't make her call you on the sh** you've been hiding, she already knows that something's up. D***, why could she always tell? And how could she do that, non-verbal signaling so well? Did she take a class or something? Her lips pursed in a forced "I'm smiling on the inside, I can barely contain it on the outside" smile, her attention was on the fat noble Moroi on her left, the one with the stained sash although there hadn't been anything to stain it with yet. He could tell, she was doing the partially melted ice-block impression. He was drunk on spirit, he knew, because he really, really, really wanted to cause a massive scandal and kiss her right now. He opted instead of making nice with his "Great-Great Auntie Edith" (he didn't have a Great-Great anything, but he was willing to humor an old lady.)

_There you see her  
Sitting there across the way  
She don't got a lot to say  
But there's something about her  
And you don't know why  
But you're dying to try  
You wanna kiss the girl_

He wasn't quite sure when the attack hit, somewhere after the soup course but before the fish course. He had just watched the soup bowl get taken away when he suddenly heard screams and crashes and all sorts of other sounds of chaos. Then he felt Jill die. Jill was dead, but when he stood up and vaulted the table to see where she was (oh God, please let him be in time to save her again, please, I'll try to be a better Christian, I'll give up alcohol and cigarettes, please just let me be in time to save Jailbait), he saw a young girl in a maroon velvet dress already healing her. Ah, that Moroi girl, Evelina, the one who was the next spirit user, the one the Queen was teaching, doing a great job of healing the stab wound to Jill's chest, the one that had gone straight through her heart. Adrian sighed, relieved, disaster averted. He turned and saw Eddie beheading someone (most likely whomever had killed Jill) and then saw Angeline and Trey fighting other would-be assassins. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rose and Dmitri surrounding the Queen, and the blur of a thrown blade _shwick_ across Rose's neck in a spray of arterial blood. From his vantage point on top of the table, he saw her go down _thump_, and for the second time in a night, his heart stopped beating. He ran across the demolished table, praying for the second time in minutes (new record, he hadn't prayed in years), leaping over struggling bodies and forgotten utensils, glasses, and the errant centerpiece.

_Yes, you want her  
Look at her, you know you do  
It's possible she wants you, too  
There is one way to ask her  
It don't take a word  
Not a single word  
Go on and kiss the girl_

It took an eternity, an eternity from the middle of the table, and Adrian thanked whichever unlucky guardian angel who had drawn the short straw and gotten him for making sure he wasn't drunk tonight. Spirit drunk? Turns out it doesn't slow down the senses, it actually heightened them. He was so going to say a hundred "Hail Mary's" for that, first thing after he was getting directions to the nearest church. He landed in a most ninja-like manner (Dmitri's words, not his), and them set about protecting the Queen in the way Wolf had taught him – in the most badass way possible (his opinion). Saving Rose was moot, the Queen had that covered just fine (Rose sitting up straight, arguing that Lissa shouldn't have risked herself to save a Guardian, some other arguments thrown in as well.)Adrian dodged a blow from a sword, ducking low, smashing an errant pimp cane (who carried those anymore?) into the masked attacker's face (_crunch_ went the nose, _crunch crunch_). And as Dmitri and a buttload of other Guardfians hussled Lissa and Rose to a secure exit, Adrian's senses opened up again, leaving him with what, to any other person, ought to be sensory overload. And that's why he saw Sydney, undefended, human, unarmed Sydney, take a dagger to the gut, and drop like a broken winged bird.

_Sing with me now  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
My, oh, my  
Look at the boy too shy  
He ain't gonna kiss the girl  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Ain't that sad  
Ain't it shame, too bad  
You gonna miss the girl_

If he hadn't been watching her aura, he would have thought it just a minor wound, but he saw the way her aura just faltered, like a blink or a power outage, and then slowly begin to dim. And he, he knew he screamed, screamed loud enough that various struggles around him paused, that the group of Guardians and the Queen looked back. It felt like the whole world had paused, the universe stopped a minute to watch my anguish. He took off across the grand dining room, too slow, too slow, too slow. He knew, knew, knew in his heart of hearts that he wouldn't make it in time: the table had been set on fire, his short cut disabled. The long way it was.

_Now's your moment  
Floating in a blue lagoon  
Boy, you better do it soon  
No time will be better  
She don't say a word  
And she won't say a word  
Until you kiss the girl_

He ran, sprinted, ducking projectiles, dodging stray bullets, pulled a knife out of a dead man's back and stabbed an attacker through the stomach with it, and all of it barely registered. He kept his eyes on the fading yellow aura with the faint purple threads wound through that was slowly puttering out like a lawn mower out of gas. _Run,_ he screamed to his legs, _run_. He couldn't get there fast enough, his muscles refused to go any faster. He neatly leaped over an assailant that was trying to tackle him, moving like no Moroi ought to move – he swore he felt like a dhamphir, all physical prowess and sleek warrior's moves. He didn't care what got him there, he just needed to get to Sydney's side. He was half way there when her life just petered out, her body went limp and her eyes glassed over. He aura just dissipated, right before his eyes. He punched the next guy in front of him, and then just kept running (running in dress shoes is not something he would recommend). He slid to a halt over her bloody body and prayed to the most famous spirit user known to any Moroi, St. Vladimir, that he could bring her back.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Don't be scared  
You got the mood prepared  
Go on and kiss the girl  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Don't stop now  
Don't try to hide it how  
You wanna kiss the girl  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Float along  
Listen to the song  
The song say kiss the girl  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Music play  
Do what the music say  
You wanna kiss the girl_

She looked like Sleeping Beauty, but no mere kiss would bring her back. And she and all her associates (none to be found in the vicinity, he checked and double checked) were going to hate how her saved her. How he brought her back. He concentrated on everything about her, on her very existence, on everything she was, and begged her soul to come back. He couldn't remember how he had done it with Jill, but here he had to try. He closed his eyes, and held one of her hands between his two, and sent spirit scurrying over her, into her, and prayed, hoped, begged it would work. What felt like a decade passed, then a century, then a millennia. Why wasn't she waking up? He didn't remember it taking this long with Jill. Oh, sweet Heaven, why couldn't he remember how he did it last time, he had had to write a bloody report on how he did it, hadn't he? He kept going, pushing at spirit to fix her, fix Sydney Sage so he could see her smile again, see her laugh, and work, and simply be. He wouldn't be complete without her in his world. He probably wouldn't survive, he would probably just keel over dead at the funeral or something equally morbid and ironic. And as he focused, he felt it. He felt the first glimmer of her coming back. He felt rather than saw her gut mend, her felt rather than saw her take first a shallow breath then a slightly deeper one, felt rather than saw her hand clench against his.

_You've got to kiss the girl  
Why don't you kiss the girl  
You gotta kiss the girl  
Go on and kiss the girl_

He opened his eyes, watching her take in the sights and sounds of battle, a battle drawing to a close, a battle that was mostly over. He spilled silent tears, and watched as comprehension dawned in hers. She slowly sat up against the pillar she had did against, watching him, watching him with wide innocent eyes. He vaguely felt everyone watching out of the corners of their eyes, watching the most unlikely pair ever to be found on this Earth. She leaned her forehead against his, silent, but he knew what she was trying to communicate as they both heaved and huffed heavily. _Why would you do something so risky? You chose me over someone important? How much flak are we going to get for this? Does anyone else know I died? I know I died. My God, I died and came back to life. Magically. Lord. I can't believe this. I don't know what's going to happen. This is going to be so bad, I might get sent to Re-Education. Oh, dear lord._ He let go of her hands, and instead grabbed her head. He looked deep into her eyes, searching (what was he looking for? Some sign of permanent damage done? That she was whole? He had no idea.) He looked deep into her eyes, and then kissed her. His heart had returned to him from the dead, she was alive, and all political scandal be damned. He kissed her slow and languidly, and he felt everyone watching and whispering (those damn Alchemists had come out of the woodwork, f*** their lives). She pulled back, and whispered to him, across their mingled breaths, as their foreheads fell against each others' once again. "Thank you Adrian."

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**A/N: So , whatcha thinking? Shocked, surprised, unexpecting this? Yes, I know you are. Not at all what anyone was expecting, don't lie. When ya'll read "Kiss the Girl", you probably thought something a bit more in the mood with the song, and the spirit in which it was sung. Don't worry, that was me being excessively creative. In any case, I hoped you enjoyed my curve ball, I wrote it special, after all. Next up is "Colors of the Wind", Disney's **_**Pocahontas**_**. A always, review if you feel like it, don't if you don't want to. Until next time.**


	9. JillTrey Colors of the Wind

**A/N: Well, I'm not sure if I should introduce myself with an evil laugh. But really, somewhere around chapter four of a continued plot this did turn into a story, which by definition needs a conflict… it had to be coming sooner or later. So this is "Colors of the Wind" from Disney's **_**Pocahontas**_**. Dear Jailbait is the character we follow today, and this is set after the last chapter. After this chapter there are only three chapters left, so be prepared. (Any one else spontaneously begin singing _The Lion King_ song?)  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the plot. **

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Jill slammed the door to her suite behind her, a loud bang that belied her anger and frustration. "What the h*** was Adrian thinking? He could have just healed her and then … Argh! I don't know! He's impossible! He's going to be his own demise!" Angeline and Eddie watched the princess rage, shocked silent. Jill's sweet nature was completely counterpoint to the irate girl who threw a vase at the wall. _Crash!_ "He went and saved her life! Okay, I can deal with that. Spirit Bound can be fixed, you know have a doctor re-kill her and then defibrillate her back to life. But then - !" Her chest heaved and her pale complexion was violently patchy in reds and oranges.

They all watched, unfamiliar with this enraged girl. She threw up her hands, and a vase full of roses exploded. "He confessed! Confessed to using magic on Sydney! He practically gave all the Alchemists coronaries and sent them to an early grave! He told them he had brought her back to life! Everyone!" The rage left her piece by piece, and she collapsed in a puddle of silk on the couch next to Angeline. She buried her head in her hands, "He practically forced Lissa's hand to appease the Alchemists! Oh, sweet Heaven. They're going to call for him to be exiled, sent away, since they can't send Sydney away."

Trey spoke up, "Why aren't they blaming Sydney? I mean, they kinda were – "

Jill rounded on him, "DON'T finish that sentence. It could doom her too. "

Eddie responded, "Sydney was dead at the time that Adrian brought her back. She was unable to refuse his aid, and thus she is acquitted of all blame in their eyes. But they won't trust her as much as they would have – though even that trust was already strained since she was stationed here."

Trey shrugged, "Well, then why didn't Adrian try chest compressions or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? Why use magic at all, if he knows how bad it will get after?"

Angeline spoke up from where she was trying to comfort the princess, "Because magic is… magic. There is something .. special about magic."

Trey huffed, frustrated, "I don't understand why anyone has to use magic! It's just wrong! Everywhere on the earth, how is it just one species can use magic?"

Jill looked up, cold and distant, "Huh, so you are just like your upbringing. Blood will out. You can't judge us for using magic, you've never used magic, especially when there are humans who can use magic. It is something special, inexplicable. Don't look at Adrian and think that he could have done so many other things and still saved Sydney. But you wouldn't know, you just look at Moroi and think us barbarians for using something that you can't, and never will. Don't look at us and judge us, if you don't know what you are judging." Her tone was vicious, but tears streamed down her face.

_You think I'm an ignorant savage  
And you've been so many places  
I guess it must be so  
But still I cannot see  
If the savage one is me  
How can there be so much that you don't know?  
You don't know ..._

Angeline gripped Jill's shoulder, "Shh, calm down. You can show him, you know."

Everyone looked at the Keeper. She continued, "You can show him what you can do with magic. All the magics. You have some control over all of them right?" Jill nodded. "Good, then try to show him. Teach him like you were teaching young Moroi at your old school."

Jill nodded, "Okay, but keep me informed of what's happens to Adrian, please?" She left the room, hauling Trey with her, Eddie followed behind. They settled outside on her private courtyard.

"First lesson. Everything is inherently magical. Everything has a property that channels magic and is in of itself magical. That's what makes anyone able to use magic, it just comes easier to Moroi. Take this earth, you would think it's only full of dirt and worms. But to a Moroi, it has life, it has a voice that is as deep and ancient as all earth, it is old and new and the same and different all at the same time, which is necessary for magic. Magic is in our thinking synonymous with life. To have magic is to be alive. To be alive is to have magic. You just have to learn how to speak it's language and ask it to do what you want. Or force it." She scooped up some dirt from a flower bed, and then closed her hands. From between her hands a flower grew up and bloomed. Her eyes lit up in joy, and she planted that handful of dirt back into the bed.

_You think you own whatever land you land on  
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim  
But I know every rock and tree and creature  
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name_

Trey watched her, not caring much about the lesson, "Why would Adrian confess? I still don't understand his rationale for that action. He could have pretended to be spirit drunk – you could have been an alibi he would have had to be cleared, right?"

Jill sighed, standing and shaking out her skirts, "Well, that clearly didn't show you the wonders of magic. You have to think differently, you have to think like us – the strangers who look like you. Consider this: all Alchemists reject magic, same as you yet they use a little in their tattoos, Sydney told me. So you learning to accept a little would be perfectly reasonable." Jill watched his face closely, then answered his question, "Adrian changed for her, and lying about his actions when they will affect her – and they will, she will have days where she will be dark or not at all there or days where she wants desperately to run and fight until she is dead. There is no way, not when Adrian knows the ramifications of being Spirit Bound, he's seen Rose and Lissa, and he's seen what he's done to me. Adrian loves her, loves her so strongly that if he can, he will protect her. No one has ever been able to guess what the Alchemists will do, and this was his way of winning an unwinnable situation. Like Captain Kirk on _Star Trek_. And though I would have protected him , I would have said he was spirit drunk and not fully in control of himself, Lissa would know I lied about the last part, Rose would, Dmitri would and Evelina and Sydney and Adrian. One lie only leads to a thousand more to cover it up. He doesn't want to live a lie, for her. Do you understand now? He was protecting her, because he would gladly protect her with his life."

Trey's eyes grew round, "My God. I didn't think – "

Jill nodded, "Yes, you didn't think to look past his slacker drunkard façade. You need to think and put yourself in someone else's shoes to truly know them, to learn what everyone else ignores. Come on, I'm trying again."

_You think the only people who are people  
Are the people who look and think like you  
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger  
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew_

They entered the forest behind the palace, Trey's eyes completely closed. The forest was dark, and he stumbled and tripped. The Moroi princess walked silently behind him, "To make fire, you have to know darkness. You have to know the light and how to draw it from within you. You have to know how the darkness, because light and darkness are two sides to the same coin. You have to know both and keep the two balanced." A noise to his right, a pattering of feet and the flurry of movement. "You have to know that dark is not death or the absence of magic, it is simply a different magic than what we can perceive. Darkness is just the absence of light, but it is still life. Life goes on in the dark just as in light. And once you understand that," she snapped her fingers, he heard the flare of a flame, "You can create light and fire." Her smile glimmered in the faint firelight.

_Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon  
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?  
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?_

They went deeper into the forest, Trey trailing the princess. The wind whipped by them, whistling, and Jill laughed, "Can you hear the wind, Trey? Can you hear it whispering its secrets to you, the flavors and colors that it carries, the taste of faraway lands and faraway life? It too is as ancient as the earth, just like light and fire are, but it is forever young and never ending and carries the secrets of all time." She smiled broadly at him over her shoulder.

Trey looked at her, ignoring her question and joy, "Why would Lissa exile Adrian? Couldn't she just choose to force Sydney away? I still don't know how you know Adrian is going to be exiled."

Jill's face fell. "Well, it looks like I'm not cut out to be a teacher. But in answer to your question, is that Adrian is Adrian. He knows all about Re-Education Centers, where tainted Alchemists are sent to be re-educated into the perfect Alchemists. That would destroy Sydney – it would rip away our friend forever. She would fear magic and vampires, much less be herself. She would be a complete stranger to us again, she wouldn't be herself. She would be broken. Adrian, he would save her that. And Lissa wouldn't send away Sydney – she can't: she just named her official court liaison – and now she has to mentor her on dealing with being Spirit Bound. If Lissa lets her go, then who knows what the Alchemists will do to destroy the binding?" She started up the path again, "Enough of that, I'm not trying to explain politics to you, I'm trying to teach you the basics of magic."

They kept trudging along, Trey barely keeping pace. "Yes, it's still here! Come on Trey! Some fun you can experience without magic." She raced ahead, "Hurry up! You have to see this!" He entered a clearing, and the last rays of sunlight hit him from over the tree tops. The whole glade was bathed in pure golden light, and he felt something click into place within him. He felt joy and wonder at the world, at the whole world and its natural beauty. He was slaw-jawed in astonishment. Jill smiled benevolently, "See what you were missing? This – This is magic." She waved a hand at the meadow.

He returned her smile, "I see now. I see it all now." He grabbed a handful of blackberries from a bush in front of them and poured them into his mouth. He grinned at her, teeth stained purple, "They taste like magic." She smiled back, and together they raced down a second path, laughing.

_Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest  
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth  
Come roll in all the riches all around you  
And for once, never wonder what they're worth_

Somewhere along the way, Angeline and Eddie appeared out of the forest, running with them, laughing and alive too. Trey thought he could see the life within them, the sheer beauty of it, the magic of life. They ran the trail, sometimes stepping off to run wildly through the brush, always coming back. And when they all tripped and fumbled and tumbled into a stream cutting across the path, no one quit smiling. Jill scooped up some water, using her affinity with water, and then splashed it all over Trey, and he found he was not revolted or disgusted nor was he recoiling from the touch of magic like he was barely concealing before. He could practically see the web of magic that surrounded them all, the flavor of magic still heavy in his throat.

_The rainstorm and the river are my brothers  
The heron and the otter are my friends  
And we are all connected to each other  
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends_

They stumbled out of the stream well after dark. They lay spread out in a giant wheel, laying wet and spent on the grass. Angeline spoke up first as they watched the stars, "So do you understand now, Trey?"

Trey tilted his head to look in her direction, the maroon shadow to his left. "Yeah, I think I do now." The moon coated them in silver, and Trey knew that it too was magic – it too was life. It was as if blinkers had been taken off his eyes, like he was blind and now he could see. Everything was silver and starlight and unmoving.

_How high will the sycamore grow?  
If you cut it down, then you'll never know  
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon_

Jill spoke then, "Well, what are we going to do now?"

Trey turned to his right, addressing her, "What do you mean?"

Eddie looked to his left addressing Jill, "Lissa handed down her verdict. Her hand was forced. The nobles wanted a long term peace with the Alchemists, the Alchemists want Adrian dead – which our laws will not allow, apparently some ancient law about saving someone's life using magic saved him from execution – so they all settled for exiling him and he won't ever be able to see Sydney ever again, or he will forfeit his life."

Jill nodded, "Okay, what then? Where is he now? What of Sydney?"

Angeline spoke, "He's in jail. At least for now. A Guardian is allowed to escort him outside, and he can get visitors, but he's kept in manacles, and leg irons. Sydney is being allowed to stay, but she's being closely monitored."

Trey caught on immediately, "So then, what should we plan on doing? Do we have a time frame that we have to act in?"

Eddie grinned and addressed the group, "Well, look who's learned to think like a Moroi." They all laughed at that.

Angeline asked, "Would something like what Rose did with Dmitri work?"

Eddie immediately shook his head, clenching his hands into fists in the grass, "No, they would be on the run forever."

Jill reached out and touched Eddie, calmly unfurling his fingers. "They don't need forever. They need a few minutes to say goodbye. He can travel into her dreams at night, they won't be kept apart. At least, not while we're here, while we're alive."

_For whether we are white or copper skinned  
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains  
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind_

Trey replied, "Well, I may be the tannest person to ever think like a Moroi, but I think we can easily create a distraction. We just need someone who can manipulate the wind. And we have two Guardians, or one and a trainee," he amended, "And we have one Moroi princess, who could demand to see the guy who saved her life once, who she was spirit bound to at one point. If we can get that air user, I think we have a plan."

Jill grinned, "I don't think we even need an air user."

Angeline grinned wolfishly, "If Sydney can find the right spell –"

Eddie picked up, "And bind it to some object that will power it for a long period of time – "

Trey finished, "Then this never has to go any farther than any of us." He paused a moment. "Since when can Sydney use magic, by the way?"

The rest of them went silent, sitting up and exchanging guilty looks. He sighed. "I'm not the first person to be so inspired by that sunset, am I?" No response.

"Come on, we need to get back and start reconnoitering and plotting." Angeline supplied, dusting off the dusky maroon dress she wore. "it won't help that we're past curfew and will have to sneak in."

Trey sighed again, much more heavily, then spoke to Eddie, "I'm not going to get an answer am I?"

"Nope. When you're done, you know, sneaking in and getting dry, meet us in Jill's room." He too disappeared into the night.

Trey laughed a loud. "Well, me sneaking in is going to be the same way you're sneaking in. After all, I think like you now." Then he too rushed headlong into the darkness after them.

_You can own the Earth and still  
All you'll own is Earth until  
You can paint with all the colors of the wind_

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**A/N: So, one more complete. It's kinda fluffy and dark at the same time. I hope you enjoyed, I had a bit of a writer's funk on how to frame it – I wasn't sure if I wanted Jill- Trey or Angeline- Trey or Eddie-Trey, or Angeline-Trey, or Jill-Angeline… as you can see, there were plenty of options in writing this piece. I think it turned out okay, in spite of that. Next is "You'll Be in My Heart" from **_**Tarzan**_**… "Strangers Like Me" just got covered, don't you think? As always, review if you want to, don't if you don't want to. Until the next chapter! **


	10. AdrianSydney You'll Be in My Heart

**A/N: So I have learned the dangers of updating twice in a day, in that I'm pretty sure the publishing of Chapter 9 went unnoticed. If you think that this ought to be "Colors of the Wind", sorry, that was last chapter, you might want to go back and read that one first. This is "You'll Be in My Heart", from **_**Tarzan.**_** No particular point of view, and still in line with the current plot. And what a plot it is… anyways, new chapter! Here we go…**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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In a flurry of orchestrated movements, the cogs began to turn. Two cloaked figures hurried down the deserted passageways of the Court, hoods up so that their faces were enveloped in shadows. Whatever charm Sydney had made for each of them, they worked splendidly: it was as if all the noise they made was snatched away and dissipated, they didn't make the slightest creak. One of the figures knocked surreptitiously on Sydney's door, the door opened and another cloaked figure slipped out. Together the three figures ran down hallways, heading for the open forest behind the compound.

Elsewhere, two figures clanked across the pre-dawn lawns of the Court. Only a single person knew that the Guardian accompanying the prisoner wasn't actually a Guardian – but he was already in the forest, and no one would be missing him. A key was produced, and the manacles and leg irons removed. Cloaks were donned, and the shadows too slid into the welcoming dark of the forest.

All the parties ran towards a glade, virtually unknown to both Guardians and Moroi. Jill panted, "Sydney, will whatever charm you hooked up to that portable fan make it sound like we're all where we're supposed to be?"

Sydney replied confidently, "Yes, no one will have cause to question where we are. It sounds like all of us are safely sleeping. How did you get an extension on the timeline?"

Jill grinned deep within her hood, "Lissa has a lot on her mind at the moment. Namely, planning a wedding. Christian was going to propose and with a little encouragement to do it now rather than later, well, Lissa is now way too swamped to finish signing paperwork to exile Adrian." Somewhere close by, Angeline paused and let out a whippoorwill call. A few moments later, the call was returned.

She nodded, "They're on their way. We have to hurry." They picked up the pace, collectively almost flying across the ground.

Trey and Adrian sprinted across the rocky trail, knowing they only had the space of a few minutes to meet. Eddie melted out of the shadows at some point, trailed closely by Rose and Dmitri. Eddie grimaced, but no one tried to stop the pair. Clearly they had invited themselves. The sun began to rise over the mountains behind the Court, just in time to witness the groups collide in the open space.

Almost immediately, Sydney threw back her hood and flew at Adrian, eyes full of tears. "You, you – you big idiot! Why?" She pounded a fist against his chest, and he visibly flinched. She drew back to punch him again. Everyone busied themselves being scarce, melting back into the woods to watch and listen for trouble.

He caught her hand before it could hit again, instead twining their fingers together, "Sage, watch it." Then he smirked down at her, green eyes flashing, "After all, I did get a prison tatt there."

She stared at him, aghast. "Adrian, those aren't sanitary!"

He laughed out loud, "Relax, Sydney, Comrade was the one who did it. Perfectly safe."

She eyed him, tears caught in her lashes, "I still can't believe you. I could have talked everything down to a lesser punishment."

His arms slid across her back, hugging her close, "Sydney, I believe you could have. I know you could have. But I won't accept a lesser punishment, I need to face the consequences of my actions, even if it is only for loving you. Now, _moe serdtse_, dry your tears. I'm here, now, to protect you in every way I can. Don't worry, don't cry." He flashed her a grin he knew would stop the tears for now, whispering close to her ear. "Aren't you going to ask what I got as my prison tatt?"

_Come stop your crying  
It will be all right  
Just take my hand _

_Hold it tight  
I will protect you  
from all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry  
_

She laughed, wiping her eyes on the heels of her hands. "Adrian, you'll tell me even if I don't ask."

"Darn right." He towered over her, his lips brushing the cartilage of her ear, "I got a sage plant – getting your face seemed tacky." His deft fingers quickly unbuttoned his shirt, uncovering the bandage covering the left side of his chest. Her hand unpeeled the linen, revealing the angry plant growing over his ribs, the purple flowers neatly decorating the space over his heart.

"This is going to look very unmasculine if you every go to the beach, Adrian."

"I'm secure in my masculinity – very secure. After all, you haven't run away yet."

Her hands touched down lightly against his cheeks. "Adrian, you do realize I came running?"

"Huh. Well, there's that." His light tone sobered, "Do they know about - ?"

Sydney shook her head vehemently. "The Alchemists don't know all about the bond – don't know how it forms, just that it takes a spirit user to save someone from death. The Queen ordered Evelina to lie and claim that I still had the faintest traces of an aura, so you just healed me."

His arms tightened fractionally, smiling a half smile tinged with sadness and regret, "They couldn't tear us apart, break us, not even in a millennia."

_For one so small,  
you seem so strong  
My arms will hold you,  
keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry_

She laughed, tears gathering unfallen at the corners of her eyes as she ignored the fallacy in his last statement, "Why a millennia?"

Adrian pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Because, not even Alchemists are tenacious enough to keep trying the impossible after that long, _moe serdtse_."

She rested her head against his chest, resting her hands on either side of his chest, "Why do you keep calling me "my heart"?"

"Sydney, everything has a title. You, you happen to be my heart. My very life and pulse. My everything. Nothing will ever change that, so I might as well make it clear to the whole world, right?"

She laughed, but like the rest it was a strained laugh – almost forced. "Classic male territoriality – marking me as yours."

Adrian bumped her head with his own, "If that's what it takes to get the point across."

_'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more_

_You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always_

Sydney sighed, "I wish they wouldn't be so unreasonable – why can't they look past it all and realize that we are all people and have the same basic rights, no matter race, creed, ethnicity, gender, no matter what? I wish you don't have to go away."

Adrian smiled down at the Alchemist softly, "Someone once said that change doesn't happen overnight – change must come slowly. Think about all the mixed race couples in the South, change happens slowly, not overnight."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't wish."

"Sage, we've both always been caught in the wrong time period, too modern for this time."

_Why can't they understand  
the way we feel  
They just don't trust  
what they can't explain  
I know we're different but,  
deep inside us  
We're not that different at all_

The sun rose steadily overhead, time was running out too quickly. They were quiet, just holding each other and memorizing everything about the other: the way they fit together like jigsaw puzzle pieces, the pine and paint and musky leather scent Adrian perpetually carried, Sydney's aroma of coffee and chemicals and sensible cotton and a dash or citrus, the way their hearts beat in time with one another's.

_And you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more_

"Maybe I ought to get another tattoo, too." Adrian broke the silence, "You know how Moroi and dhampirs are considered night creatures and Alchemists are by nature the opposite, and thus daylight creatures? A sun and moon together – two worlds colliding and staying together." He indicated the spot on the inside of his wrist, left hand side, "Right here. And while I'm at it, I should get your name on my ring finger – Russian would look awesome across the base. What do you think?"

"Adrian, quit ruining the moment. This is the last time I am ever, _ever,_ going to see you face to face. I want to memorize everything in the time that I have."

_Don't listen to them  
'Cause what do they know  
We need each other,  
to have, to hold  
They'll see in time  
I know_

"I know, _moe serdtse_, I know. But I can't stand to see you sad, I can't help but want to distract you and cheer you up. But take heart, sooner or later, you'll be free and we'll be together. I know."

Rose materialized out of the woods, "Okay, we've got incoming hostiles. Maybe five more minutes, then we have got to get out of here and pretend Adrian was off catching exercise and everyone else was doing whatever you guys planned."

With a new air of urgency, Adrian cradled her face, "This isn't goodbye, _moyeĭ lyubovʹyu_, I'll come visit you in your dreams. Every night, I swear." He tried and failed to make the situation lighter, "And I'll be sure to show you the tatts I get."

_When destiny calls you  
You must be strong  
I may not be with you  
But you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time  
I know  
We'll show them together_

Sydney shook her head, tears streaming down her face, "Don't "my love" me Adrian. God, dear God, the one time – "She was too choked up to finish.

He kissed her, hard, "I know, _lyubimaya_, I know. But this isn't the end – this isn't the Titanic, we're not dead. We are alive, and there are ways to see each other without anyone finding out. We have each other, and they will never be able to take that away from us."

_'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on,  
Now and forever more_

_Oh, you'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be in my heart, always  
Always_

This time it was Eddie, pale faced, "Adrian, they know we've been gone for too long, and they know none of us are where we're supposed to be. We have to leave the Court now, instead of letting Lissa exile you. The Alchemists are already chomping at the bit to have any reason to rip you limb from limb."

Adrian called over his shoulder, "Hold up a moment." He cupped her face, eyes tracing everything about it, "You are _svoyeĭ zhizni, moe serdtse,_ my world. No matter where you go, I will follow in spirit, because my soul is only a pale reflection of yours. You are my better half, and for however long we are separated, I will live as if you were by my side, try and become more worthy of loving a goddess like you, Sydney Sage." His hand scrambled into a pocket of his jeans, "Here, it was my Great Aunt's, she left it to me." It was a massive emerald surrounded by smaller diamonds, a gorgeous, ornate, estate piece. He slid it onto her right hand middle finger.

Sydney smiled a water-logged smile at him, kissing him. "Do you know the legend associated with emeralds? They are, supposedly, used to connect lovers as a symbol of faith. They say, that if the stone, like this one, if it's given by one lover to the other, and it's initially clear, that if it flashes to a darker color and stays there, then the one who gave it has stopped loving the one who carries the stone."

"Well, that stone will always stay clear." Trey materialized, along with Angeline and Eddie, Dmitri and Rose, and Jill, cloaks bundled around them, the sounds of Guardians approaching.

They kissed one final time, then separated the ways they had entered the space. Sydney followed Angeline and Jill, pulling up her hood, turning to look back before beginning to walk away. Adrian backpeddled slowly, tracking her shrouded form across the glade. He saw the way she peeked over her shoulder one final time before she disappeared into the dark of the forest. When she was finally out of sight, he turned to Trey. "Okay, now we can go." And together they ran towards the gate, where Abe had a car waiting to whisk them away.

_I'll be with you._

_When I'll be there for you always_

_Always and always_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_I'll be there for you always_

_Always_

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**A/N: Okay, the end. Not. Seriously, though, this song is sooo romantic. Yes I did just desecrate the English written language in order to express my feelings, but it was not due to ignorance and apathy. It was to make a point. Therefore, I will absolve myself of the sin. I hope you all enjoyed, I tried hard to make it as romantic as the song. Probably missed the mark, but I tried. Next up is "A Whole New World," from **_**Aladdin**_**. Then, after that, only one song left. As per usual, review if you want to, don't if you don't want to. Until next chapter.**

**P.S. - Russian translations:  
**

**_moe serdtse :_ my heart  
**

**_moyeĭ lyubovʹyu :_ my love  
**

**_lyubimaya_ : beloved, darling  
**

**_svoyeĭ zhizni_ : my life  
**


	11. Adrian Sydney A Whole New World

**A/N: Next chapter! Whoot! Sorry this took a long time, I was away celebrating my birthday, and I hit the dreaded writer's block – plus a whole host of other things that you don't really care about, and probably don't want to know. I hate to say this, but we're almost done with this story, at least as far as there are Disney songs to support my plot… In any case, thanks for the reviews – glad to know I was romantic and not something gross and unbelievable. Umm… not much to say, really, except we're one chapter away from the end. Which everyone knows because I've been counting down obsessively for several chapters now… Hopefully this chapter is just as enjoyable as the rest. Onto the tale!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

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The first time Adrian reached out to Sydney via dream walking, she wasn't expecting it. She was dreaming of perusing the library at Harvard, this grand cathedral to knowledge and learning and full of the air of mystery and the tantalizing taste of coffee and that unique book smell. Not the place where one expects a phone to ring, much less loudly with a flashy ringtone. The punchy rock themes of "Good Girls Go Bad" echoed throughout the hallowed hall, and Sydney scrambled to catch the stupid piece of technology. Who on earth would be calling her? And why hadn't she put her phone on vibrate?

"_Moe imperatritsa_, is this a bad time?" Adrian's dulcet voice whispered over the speaker, and Sydney nearly reached through and strangled him.

She hissed into the phone as she scrambled out of the revered stacks, "Adrian, do you know where I am? And what the h*** did you set your ringtone to?"

He had the nerve to laugh, "_Krasotka_, I know where you are. And I personalized the ringtone that's especially for me. And I know what you're going to ask next. I'm right behind you." Sydney stared at her cellphone as the line clicked shut, baffled. A hand nearly immediately touched her shoulder and she whirled to face familiar emerald eyes and dark brown hair. And in the few moments she took to process this, she felt the largest grin spread over her face.

She smiled up at his clearly amused face, "Adrian, this isn't real. You must be a dream. Not that I'm complaining."

Adrian leaned over and buried his face in her hair, wrapping his arms around her, "I should hope not. But, what if I were to tell you that this happens to be dream walking?"

She returned his hug, "I would wonder just what exactly my mind happens to be cooking up as plausible explanations in order for me to see your face when I go to sleep at night,"

Adrian laughed out loud, scattering pigeons. "Sydney, dream walking is where I, a spirit user, enter your dream and interact with you. This setting isn't real, but the interaction," he palmed her hip, drawing her body to match his, "Oh, the interaction is real."

Sydney stiffened, "So what you're saying is that this is real? I'm not being influenced by your crazy spirit highs and lows right now?"

Adrian drew away, "Yeah, I guess. Actually, here let me show you something." He closed his eyes, and the scenery blurred and shifted. Adrian opened his eyes, and then smiled at her. "Okay, completely blank canvas. Imagine what you want where. Create the masterpiece." He stepped back and thrust his hands into his pockets. She stared at him. "Go on. Make something. Design your dream. Anything goes."

_I can show you the world  
Shining, shimmering, splendid  
Tell me, princess, now when did  
You last let your heart decide?_

She turned back to the bright white infinity. She called back, "Adrian, close your eyes." And then she began to work on the set. When she finished, they were overlooking a Mediterranean bay, filled with white stucco houses, a village full of color and noise and sunlight. She eyed him out of the corner of her eye. "Well?"

_I can open your eyes  
Take you wonder by wonder  
Over, sideways and under  
On a magic carpet ride_

He smiled mischievously, "I can do one better. I can show you where I've been these past few weeks." She turned to face him. "Place by place, detail by detail. But you have to show me places you've been as well. Equivalent exchange."

Sydney, ever the curious, eyed him speculatively. "I honestly think this happens to be one of the most lucid dreams I have ever had. How, exactly, do I know that you're actually Adrian and not a figment of my sleep deprived brain?"

His grin grew, and he sped over and stole a kiss. When he pulled back, he rested his head against hers, still grinning. "You don't at the moment, but I'll have Jill sneak you evidence. Now, the first place I went was this quaint village in Switzerland, high up in the mountains –"

_A whole new world  
A new fantastic point of view  
No one to tell us no  
Or where to go  
Or say we're only dreaming_

And just like that, Adrian molded the scenes he saw, the people he met, the things she hadn't been around to see. Some things made her gasp in horror, others laugh in amusement, and still others shocked her silent in awe. He told her of the sunny street of Spain, the grassy glens of Ireland, the tundra of Siberia. Wove images of places she hadn't seen freely, had never been assigned to go.

"Sometimes I wish that one day I'll be able to see these places for myself – being able to choose where I go, instead of the Alchemists assigning me to places."

"Sage, one day I'll take you wherever you want to go – to h*** with the Alchemists."

_A whole new world  
A dazzling place I never knew  
But when I'm way up here  
It's crystal clear  
That now I'm in a whole new world with you  
Now I'm in a whole new world with you_

_Unbelievable sights  
Indescribable feeling  
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling  
Through an endless diamond sky_

He had her close her eyes, and Sydney knew nothing of what went on in the landscape around her. She felt a breeze pick up around her calves – the sundress from Rome blew like some movie heroine, all chiffon and gauze and pale pastels billowing around her form. "Sydney, open your eyes." She knew his frame was right there in front of hers, from the way that his hands held her elbows, and the way that his feet were snuggled underneath hers, reminiscent of Louis Lane and Superman – though thankfully there were no cheesy glasses as a "disguise". Sydney opened her eyes, and felt the ground fall away (it had a long time ago, she deduced, which precipitated the need for his feet under hers – so she wouldn't feel the ground drop away) Her eyes immediately closed again – why in the name of everything good and just would he bring a single fragile human to such a height? She was sure to die. He gazed at her expectantly, eyes almost dancing in mirth, then whirled them around so she would get a 360 degree view of the scene. "Sydney, remember this is a dream – you won't die, and would I ever let you fall?" He pressed a cheek to her temple, as the pyramids of Giza swirled past their feet hundreds of meters below.

_A whole new world  
Don't you dare close your eyes  
A hundred thousand things to see  
Hold your breath - it gets better  
I'm like a shooting star  
I've come so far  
I can't go back to where I used to be_

"This is how I saw most of the world – by flight, since I still have my rudimentary use of air, I can levitate myself over short distances. Long distances, mmmm, not so much."

The stars winked on above, dim mood lighting. "Adrian, this, - this, -this is so beautiful. It's like I have the whole world at my fingertips!"

"Sage, you've had my world on its knees for a very long time. I think having a whole world at your fingertips at this point would be a tad bit anticlimactic." Adrian laughed, a resounding sound that shattered the still night air. The Taj Mahal was just on the tip of the horizon, a monument to true love and adoration. "_Moe imperatrista_, one day I'm going to build you a massive shrine like that so that everyone will know that our love is as ancient and all-consuming and everlasting as that. You will be the next Helen of Troy, the next Mumtaz Mahal, the next Jackie O. You will be immortal, and so our love story will never ever die." He brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheek, staring tenderly at her.

_A whole new world  
Every turn a surprise  
With new horizons to pursue  
Every moment red-letter  
I'll chase them anywhere  
There's time to spare  
Let me share this whole new world with you_

She stared at him bewildered. "Adrian?" He kissed her, not a rushed, hungry, rip your clothes off kiss, but one that generally makes the women in the audience sigh and wish they would be kissed like that then watch how their date is taking it and their dates slouch lower in their seats and pretend that they've seen this sort of thing a million times before . "Gilded Lily, Golden Sage – I probably ought to go so you can get some restful sleep. But going away from you isn't really an option, not forever. But I promise, I will come back soon. As soon as dawn falls, I will return to you." One last lingering kiss, then the night sky they had drifted through like clouds faded out. She woke up at the crack of twilight, unrested but happy that she hadn't had a nightmare about him dying. It seemed so realistic. At least she thought it was a dream – until she saw the box Jill sent her, with the golden sage and lily twined into a bracelet. Adrian's name was craved into the space where the maker generally stamps his signature. All of last night had been real. Suddenly, the day seemed more bearable – like the world actually was there waiting for her at her beck and call, a whole new place full of paradise and prolonged kisses and flying through the sky like an mutant from the X-Men.

_A whole new world  
That's where we'll be  
A thrilling chase  
A wondrous place  
For you and me_

That doesn't however mean that Sydney was by any means better prepared for Adrian the next time he visited her dreams – of the many things Sydney was sure she was never going to ever do under any sort of circumstances was go swimming with a pregnant bull shark without a shark cage like they used on Shark Week. Adrian, on the other hand had been game enough to try it that day.

* * *

**A/N: And that was the end of the penultimate chapter. Next is "Never Knew I Needed", from Disney's **_**Princess and the Frog**_**. As per usual, review if you feel like it, don't if you don't want to. Until the final chapter, I bid you all adieu. **

**Moe impertatrista : my empress**

**krasotka: beautiful**


	12. Adrian Never Knew I Needed

**A/N: Hello world! It's me again, for the final time. How about those Olympics, hmm? I've been enjoying watching all those great athletes compete, it's also been interesting to learn about sports that I've never even heard of (Handball anyone? And someone please explain how badminton works – I still don't get it), though I'm still the consummate soccer-is-the-best-sport-out-there fan I've always been. In anycase, here is the last chapter, Ne-Yo's "Never Knew I Needed" for Disney's **_**Princess and the Frog –**_** Adrian's POV. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations, dear readers, for I have decided that this is my last **_**Bloodlines**_** fic until I finish my other work in progress. I digress, so here we go, one final time. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the plot. The plot is mine, and I know that people are stealing some of my work and posting it elsewhere claiming it as their own. You know who you are – whoever you are – and I will kindly and politely ask you to cease and desist, since I have foolproof evidence that you are plagiarizing me, and I would like you to quit claiming my work as your own. Thank you.**

* * *

Adrian woke with a start, legs tangled in his bed sheets and breathless. The red digital numbers on his alarm clock mockingly informed him that it was way too early to be alive, much less awake. He turned on a light, desperate. Please, please, please – no dice. He wasn't in Monaco, he was not kissing Sydney Sage unconscious; he was still in Palm Springs with the deep yellow walls and the dark grey cotton sheets and the pervasive smell of paint. Had it all been a dream – how in the hell had he imagined Angeline's parts, and Trey's, and Jill's, and everyone else's for that matter? It all seemed so real, so present and tangible. He ran a hand through his hair, aching with longing and unshed tears. His blue striped pajama pants hung low on his hips as he flipped on the hall light burning his retinas and the vestiges of his dream – how he hated that it was all just a dream! He violently yanked the cord of his stereo, trying to turn it off out of the wall – that damnable Disney mix Jill had given him was still running on repeat, echoing around the apartment with children's tunes. The whole apparatus went crashing to the floor, and Adrian didn't care much. He strolled into the common, and stared at the half finished portrait on the easel. He touched the paint – twentieth layer dry, this would be a master piece when finished – on par with the _Mona Lisa _or the Sistine Chapel. Dry, warm shaky hands picked up a brush, and he started on the next layer.

The god-forsaken radio kept playing, and Adrian ignored it. He vaguely recognized the artist, some R&B artist or someone – not that he cared much. He was trying to perfect the way that Sydney's lips turned up into a smile – if he could imagine it so perfectly, an exact replica, why couldn't he seem to capture it with paints? Whoever was crooning on the sound system about some girl, had the right idea.

_For the way you changed my plans  
For being the perfect distraction  
For the way you took the idea that I have  
Of everything that I wanted to have  
And made me see there was something missing, oh yeah_

He wasn't looking for anyone new, after the way Rose had burned him, but Sydney simply was. She changed his priorities, his plans, his very definition of love. She made him see the things he lacked, and made him want to change because he wanted to –not like Rose, never like Rose. They were perfect opposites: Auburn hair, dark and dominant, all sleek warrior and predator; Golden and innocent, mysterious and not at all what she appeared to be, like a lily, she was beautiful but poisonous, how appearances deceived! Rose, with Rose you got what you saw, with Sydney she was deeper than the ocean and just a vast – there was always something new to discover.

_For the ending of my first begin  
(Ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah)  
And for the rare and unexpected friend  
(Ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah)  
For the way you're something that I'd never choose  
But at the same time, something I don't wanna lose  
And never wanna be without ever again_

Adrian paused to squeeze out some pale cream paint, mulling over the play of light over her face – she had clear skin like porcelain, but how to mix that color? It had so many tones to it – a pale peach, a pale pink, a slight violet-blue-red around the edges of her lips. She wasn't at all his type – she never fit into what he imagined he wanted – all legs and challenges and power, lush and flirty. No Sydney Sage was brains and thinking and demure – she was a friend, a person who cared, who he had inadvertently found he could love. She was as much a part of him as his hands. How had he missed that the thing he actually wanted in a person was nothing like he though he wanted?

_You're the best thing I never knew I needed  
So when you were here I had no idea  
You the best thing I never knew I needed  
So now it's so clear, I need you here always_

Of course, there was a slight hiccup. THE hiccup. She didn't want anything to do with him, not like that. What if she never spoke to him again? Dear sweet saints above, he'd – he'd probably go into a worse depression than after Rose. Jill had told him that it was pretty bad, so this would be a thousand times worse. He'd have to back off, which made him feel violent and ill and furious and stony all at the same time. Adrian took a dab of chocolate paint, flecking her lashes brown and thick. She stared out at him, serene and shining. If only she looked like that at him again.

_My accidental happily  
(Ever after)  
The way you smile and how you comfort me  
(With your laughter)  
I must admit you were not a part of my book  
But now if you open it up and take a look  
You're the beginning and the end of every chapter_

The smell of oil paints and wafted around the room, and he knew he'd have a killer headache when the high left him in a few hours, though not as bad as a hangover. He wondered what Sydney was up to right now – and then immediately remembered the way she felt flush against him, and the way her lips tucked against his, and the way she looked just a few minutes ago. Which reminded him that everything he was thinking of was more than likely the product of a collusion of songs stuck on repeat and his own subconscious. He painted a miniscule furrow in the paintings eyebrow, as is she was actually in front of him trying and failing to berate him. Not that such an event would ever happen, but if it did, he'd have the perfect copy of it to show her. Of course, providing that she was still talking to him, or even going to hang out with him, or really anything. Her brand mocked him from her right cheek, facing the world, a silent reminder of what exactly, made her forbidden fruit. In hindsight, that wasn't the best descriptor – Rose had been forbidden too, was that his track record? If they weren't available, was he into them? Was he really in love with Sydney Sage? He poured some turpentine into a small bowl, mulling it over. He couldn't decide, not really, but this felt different from the time with Rose. Though Lissa had been forbidden fruit for as long as he had known her, as well as Jill, and he felt nothing for them but friendship – it was worth mulling over at least.

_You're the best thing I never knew I needed  
So when you were here I had no idea  
(When you were here)  
You the best thing I never knew I needed  
(That I needed)  
So now it's so clear, I need you here always  
(Now it's so clear)_

An egg was cracked, the yolk removed an put aside in the fridge for a morning omelet – he poured out the gold powder he had found for a steal, carefully mixing just the right amount to make the thin gold paint he used for her tattoo – he had had to experiment for a very long time in order to get the effect just right, to find a way for it to only show up when the light hit at just the right angle. The gold would also go into her eyes, in her hair. True metallic gold for the golden Sydney. All he knew was that this human soothed the ache in him like no one else could – that she was the one thing he knew he couldn't survive without.

_Who knew that I could be  
(Who knew that I could be)  
So unexpectedly  
(So unexpectedly)  
Undeniably happier  
Sitting with you right here, right here next to me  
Girl, you're the best_

The moon sank a little lower in the sky, and the dawn crept a little bit closer. The chill of the fall turning into the bite of winter swirled around the room, He sank back on his haunches, resting his screaming muscles – where in the name of all that is good had he stashed his stool? – and he stared at the new layer he had painted this night. Yeah, this painting would be a masterpiece – _his _masterpiece. Sydney smiled slightly out at him, brow furrowed slightly, eyes sparkling and happy yet full of doubt. Her hair halo'ed her face, and her lily only appeared when looked at with your head tilted at precisely a 45 degree angle, from a few feet away. Yes, Adrian Ivashkov was an artistic genius. Another perfect layer painted like a nearly see through veil on a bride. Sydney looked so real, as if he could just reach out and touch her and feel her warm skin under his hand. Okay, that probably wouldn't happen in a million years, not anymore, but still, it was nice to fantasize. And this Sydney, she would always be with him – though travel was definitely going to be a pain in the neck. Perhaps traveling outside the United States would be put on hold indefinitely – until he paints a miniature. Those were still in style right?

_You're the best thing I never knew I needed  
(Said I needed)  
So when you were here I had no idea  
(When you were here)  
(Said I had no idea)  
You're the best thing I never knew I needed  
(That I needed)  
So now it's so clear I need you here always  
(Now it's so clear)  
(So clear, so clear, I need you always)_

_Now it's so clear, I need you here always_

He lingered over the drying paint as the sun rose – watching the way the colors darken and cleared and became more as the light filtered through his curtains. Maybe he ought to turn this in as this week's project for class – tell everyone it's his sister, of course. He was sure his art teacher would fawn as usual, and then try and force him to part with it. Like hell that would happen. But it would be nice to show her off, though it wouldn't be as a girlfriend like he wanted to show her off as. The first rays of dawn struck him through the windows and he felt his phone vibrate – text message, from Jill. '_Next time you want to paint Sydney's face all night long, open a window. I have a killer headache and I blame you. You owe two: one bottle of aspirin and I totally covered for you with Sydney." _He laughed, then kissed the tips of his fingers and pressed it to the portrait's frame (oil paints don't dry for hours, he knew better than to touch it for at least a week). "Until I can do that again in person." Then he left the room, a little less wild and crazed than he had entered hours ago. Even when she wasn't here in person, she was everything he ever needed in a single moment. A last lingering look at what was his own personal shrine to his whole galaxy, his personal black hole, and then he left to get ready for the day, a day full of missing Sydney Sage.

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**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the tale I told - and yes, it was all a dream. As usual, review if you feel like it. And the most important words of all: THE END?  
**


	13. Eddie I'll Make a Man Out of You

**A/N: An so, a new idea came to me after I had finished this fic. So I wrote it, and here it is. An outtake from whenever. Eddie didn't get much airtime, I realized, so this is his and Dmitri's redemption. I hope that this isn't taken too seriously, this falls outside the story by a lot. A little take on how Eddie might get Sydney and Adrian and Jill and Angeline to shape up, ie – get a workout. Meant to be humorous, please don't take this seriously! The song: Mulan's "I'll Make a Man Out Of You!"**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the fact that I wrote this. **

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Unlike most of the Palm Springs groups' misadventures, this one was not instigated by Adrian being foolish or Sydney being Sydney or even Angeline going off and doing something completely baffling. No, this one was by Eddie at Jill's behest. Yes, this was Eddie acting because he was Eddie and Eddie acted like a good soldier when threatened by his boss (Rose's and Lissa's orders, quite explicit and detailed). But like all misadventures, well, they were more "miss" than "adventure"**. **Waking up early to train? Not a problem. Training a bunch of greenhorns? He could handle that. Getting someone whose favorite pastime up until recently was cirrhosis-ing his liver to run a mile? That was where the issues just began.

_Let's get down to business  
To defeat the Huns  
Did they send me daughters  
When I asked for sons?  
You're the saddest bunch  
I ever met  
But you can bet  
Before we're through  
Mister, I'll make a man  
out of you_

He couldn't fault them for wanting to know how to fight, really, it wouldn't do if they all couldn't at least defend themselves until help arrived. (He was secretly threatened by Jill, but it wouldn't help his street cred if that got around.) He started with the basics, the simple stuff he knew even the littlest Dhampirs and Moroi could do, not to mention humans. Like running, stretching, lifting weights, climbing ropes, jumping jacks, running uphill with baskets filled with weights on their backs, jumping from different poles at different heights and landing on them without looking. Those were simple tasks! Even Rose could do all that after coming back from being a runaway! (Not that that was the greatest comparison, but really, if she couldn't do that after getting lazy, they could too.) The time he tried to teach Adrian to throw a person could have been a greater disaster, but really, breaking an arm just by trying to throw Angeline? Sure, Angeline should have played along, but it was more than a little pathetic. Even Sydney was doing better than that; though he was going to leave poor Jill out of it – she was sure to be regretting her choice now.

_Tranquil as a forest  
But on fire within  
Once you find your center  
you are sure to win  
You're a spineless, pale  
pathetic lot  
And you haven't got a clue  
Somehow I'll make a man  
out of you_

Teaching them to work with staves was a much simpler process, easier and much less of a hassle – or so he hoped. Really, it seemed only bad luck followed their training sessions, it was almost as if they were faced with impossible odds and managed to get that 1 in a million chance that someone was going to break a fire hardened stave and accidentally stab someone else. And honestly, the chances that it was Sydney that got stabbed? Whichever unlucky angel that had gotten this assignment was probably asleep, or else this would be going better, Eddie swore. And it was only logical that the program was just starting to pick up in intensity and difficulty.

_I'm never gonna catch  
my breath  
Say good-bye to those  
who knew me  
Boy, was I a fool in school  
for cutting gym  
This guy's got 'em  
scared to death  
Hope he doesn't see  
right through me  
Now I really wish that I  
knew how to swim_

If you tried, it wasn't so hard to guess who thought what. Angeline's biggest problem was that she couldn't run quickly – she would never make it against a Strigoi at this rate. Adrian definitely shouldn't have skipped the Academy's gym class; it was telling that he looked weak for a Moroi. HE could guess what Trey was thinking ("Hey! That looks like great training for the military, mind if I join in?"), and he knew that Sydney was simply faking it really well. She was faking not being in pain, and not being scared to death half the time. [He was the one wishing that he could swim, after Angeline fell off a mini-cliff and fell into a river.]

_(Be a man)  
We must be swift as  
the coursing river  
(Be a man)  
With all the force  
of a great typhoon  
(Be a man)  
With all the strength  
of a raging fire  
Mysterious as the  
dark side of the moon_

Eddie thought that maybe teaching each person a marital art might halt the destruction they were inadvertently causing. After they managed to completely decimate most of his training program, he was slowly moving them towards mixed martial arts that were best suited to their strengths. For Jill, Tai chi, since she was able to move in those fluid movements already, reminiscent of the water that was her affinity. For Angeline, Hung Ga, she was solid and hard to budge – perfect to stop and block as long as you were willing to be immovable; after all the best defense, they say, is a strong offense. Sydney was to take on Northern Shaolin, she would be able to put enough strength behind the moves (unlike Adrian) and still manage to only deal sufficient damage to get away. Adrian, with his mental arsenal, didn't much need a martial art style, so he was going to be trained in Baguazhang, so he could redirect his opponents energies and then make use of his mental tools. Yes these were fine martial arts for their strong suits. Or that was the thinking.

_Time is racing toward us  
till the Huns arrive  
Heed my every order  
and you might survive  
You're unsuited for  
the rage of war  
So pack up, go home  
you're through  
How could I make a man  
out of you?_

After the fiftieth accident, the ninety seventh time that something had fallen prey to Murphy's Law, and the third time each person had separately nearly died, he called it quits. He couldn't take it, it wasn't worth loosing so much sleep or so many heartbeats – he swears to this day his life expectancy halved at least three time during that period. So he called it quits. They were all suffering – anyone with eyes could see that – but it was just making them all miserable. The first day after calling an end to the training, he woke up early (as usual) and went for his morning training alone.

_(Be a man)  
We must be swift as  
the coursing river  
(Be a man)  
With all the force  
of a great typhoon  
(Be a man)  
With all the strength  
of a raging fire  
Mysterious as the  
dark side of the moon_

When he got back he was surprised to find each person going through his circuit training program he had personalized for each of them – not without mistakes, not without mishaps, but they were there of their own volition. They each had a determined look upon their faces, and were moving through the sets and movements like clockwork, if that clock was made by a far sighted five year old. He could work with what they were putting down.

_(Be a man)  
We must be swift as  
the coursing river  
(Be a man)  
With all the force  
of a great typhoon  
(Be a man)  
With all the strength  
of a raging fire  
Mysterious as the  
dark side of the moon_

Eddie would love to tell you that the misadventures of training were then all abolished, but he isn't a liar, and he's not falling into the habit now. There were more mishaps; four trips to the hospital, one broken bone, and three concussions, and countless others he didn't know about and never would. But they all improved, in their own way. While Jill quickly picked up the basics of Tai chi, she would never make a warrior with it, at least not seriously. Sydney, well, she was always busy overthinking the physics of the moves she would invariably make a mistake, but she as still trying to master the basics and gain more control. Of all his "pupils", Eddie was the proudest of Adrian, who not only mastered Baguazhang, but had combined it with parkour – though Eddie had his suspicions about the use of air magic. Angeline was solid, and she worked strongly with what she was given. Again, she would never become a true master of the art, but she had the basics, and that was always better than nothing. Though he supposed his victory was a little less sweet in the end. When he finally deigned to tell Dmitiri, he was promptly replied with, "Then why on earth would we be necessary if they can take care of themselves?" And that was a good question indeed.

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**A/N: Okay, the end! Review if you feel like, don't if you don't. As always, this is ModernArt2012 signing out! **


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